


PJO Advent Calendar (BoyxBoy!)

by MelChan1003



Series: Making Nico Happy [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Advent Calendar, Comments greatly appreciated, Cute, Fluff, Jasico - Freeform, Love, M/M, Merry Christmas, Nico gets some love, Nico's Advent Calendar, Percico - Freeform, Secret Admirer, Sequel is up, all in all this consists of 3/4 fluff and 1/4 drama, lots of feelings, lots of love, lots of surprises, oh there are so many feelings, solangelo, some anxiety, there are also kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:36:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 145,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3400415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelChan1003/pseuds/MelChan1003
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Nico wakes up on the 1st of December, the last thing he expects is to find a letter announcing he would be receiving a small gift every day until Christmas, when his 'secret admirer' would come out to him and confess his feelings...thing is, he kind of has three particular friends he has feelings for...could it be one of them? Attention: Boy x Boy! ;) Don't like - don't read. Rated M for a reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 0: 30th of November

**PJO ADVENT CALENDAR 2014**

Characters © Rick Riordan  
Idea + Writing © Mine

Finally got around to proof-read this. Thanks for all the lovely feedback, Cupcakes, you are the best!! ;D  
\- Tári

* * *

**Prologue: 1st Advent Sunday**

The day had started good and turned even better. He fumbled for the small square package in his pocket.

Still there.

He looked over to Nico, just chatting animatedly with his other friends.

He knew Nico didn't suspect a thing.

Today was the first Advent Sunday.

Originally, he had intended to start the whole thing today, but that would probably be inappropriate.

He sighed.

Hopefully, Nico would take this the right way.

What if he didn't believe him?

What if he thought all this was a joke?

He gazed at Nico, watching him roll his eyes exasperatedly at his other friends, though a smile was tugging at his lips, a gleam in his eyes as he looked around at him.

Those eyes.

They were so beautiful and dark and at first glance you'd think they were cold.

But if you lost yourself in them the way he did, you realized they were full of emotions.

He smiled to himself, thinking of how sappy he was getting.

But hell, he knew he'd get even sappier.

He felt for the letter.

Still there.

He had it all planned out in his head.

He only hoped Nico wouldn't notice.

The most important thing right now was the small package he had in his pocket. He needed to deposit it soon.

He knew where he would put it, but he wasn't sure how he was going to pull it off.

Since the other guys were around as well, he couldn't go about it the way he had hoped.

Blah.

But he'd manage.

As they walked towards the dining pavilion, he saw an opening. Casually wrapping an arm around him from the side, he pulled out the small package and pushed it into Nico's jacket pocket.

He knew Nico rarely checked his pockets. So, if anything, he might find it tonight when he hung it up on that hook of his.

Nico evaded his hug. To be expected.

It wasn't as if he still was as sensitive about physical contact, it was more that he got flustered whenever they acted like this, getting closer for no apparent reason and staying close even though they were 'only' friends.

He chuckled and let him flee. He only hoped that when the time had come, Nico wouldn't feel the need to flee.

He looked him up and down as he walked in front of him, and shook his head to himself.

How he had not been attracted to Nico before, he had no idea.

Not to mention how long it had taken him to realize his feelings.

Gods, Nico had to be the only person in the world that could pull off sexy as well as cute.

Nico looked around at him, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked at him, getting way too close again behind him.

He could see Nico's ears turning red as he turned his head away again and ran off to

his table.

He chuckled, fingering the letter once more.

He hoped everything would go well.

***

Hours later, he bade his farewell to Nico, waiting for the other guys to disappear as well.

He watched from his spot between a few trees from where he had a clear view of Nico's bed. Nico got changed.

Out of respect, he looked sideways, checking out his fingernails for some time.

Then he looked back to find him slipping beneath the covers.

He knew Nico's sleeping patterns.

Now all he could do was wait.

He felt for the letter.

It had taken him ages to write.

He wished he didn't have dyslexia quite as bad as he did.

He sure as hell wished Nico didn't have such bad dyslexia.

What if he couldn't read it?

What if he got annoyed and decided to throw it away?

Well, he would know by morning. He only hoped Nico would find the gift in his jacket tomorrow.

The letter would be hard to miss, after all.

After what seemed like forever, he finally came out of his hiding place and pushed the letter through under the door.

He'd have to think of something better in the future.

Maybe he should get a copy of Nico's cabin key.

He scolded himself.

He couldn't go breaking into his cabin like that!

His mind drifted off to the other packages he had.

…There was no way he'd be able to deposit all of those on Nico at some point unnoticed, nor push them through under the door.

He peeked through the window next to the door, looking over at Nico's sleeping silhouette in the bed.

What wouldn't he give to be beside him now…

He stepped back and forced himself to turn away.

He'd think about the thing with the key tomorrow.

First, he would have to wait and see how Nico took all this.

He just wanted him to be his…

A gentle smile tugged on his lips and he turned around one last time, peeking at the sleeping Nico.

"I love you, Nico." He whispered into the cold and then hurried off, back to his cabin.

 


	2. Day 1: 1st of December

**Day 1: Monday, 1st of December**

Nico woke up to a snowball hitting his cabin window.

Blah. _Winter_.

So much about eternal spring/summer at Camp Half-Blood.

All it took to change that was the wailing of roughly 300 demigods about wanting 'white Christmas'.

The offspring of Greek gods shouldn't even be celebrating a Christian holiday, but whatever, nobody cared, apparently.

He slowly got up with a deep sigh, looking about in his dark room.

Ever since he had decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood after the war against Gaea, he had managed to improve it somewhat.

At least one didn't think of vampires anymore when they looked at the interior - though it was still rather gloomy and dark.

Nico sighed, walking towards the bathroom without too much enthusiasm.

Today was the 1st of December.

Great.

In 24 days, it'd be Christmas.

Terrific.

He sighed.

Of course, he didn't exactly dislike Christmas.

He just wasn't looking forward much to it, either.

He had already decided to spend his Christmas with Hazel and Frank this year.

Maybe Jason would come along too. Or Will. Or both.

He smiled at the thought. His mind drifted off to Percy.

He'd probably spend his Christmas with his mother and Paul.

So yeah, that settled that matter.

His heart stung for a moment.

Okay, maybe he would have liked to spend Christmas with Percy, too.

But it was better this way.

He might still have some feelings for him, but it was obviously one-sided.

Come to think of it, should he get him a Christmas gift?

Nah, better not. In the end, Percy would take it the wrong way.

It was difficult enough with him already.

Nico sighed again, thinking of the dark-haired hero as he began brushing his teeth and cleaning up.

Things were certainly difficult between them. Not to say awkward.

He'd have guessed after walking up to Percy and saying 'Hey, by the way, I was madly in love with you. But I'm over you now. See you around.', Percy would avoid him or what not.

Instead, Percy had suddenly had a change of heart or whatever and the very next day he had lingered around in front of Nico's door, wanting to hang out with him.

And, well, ever since then, he had kind of spent quite some time with Nico.

Not that Nico minded, really.

It was just…weird.

They wouldn't even talk much and there were loads of awkward moments and silences to say the least.

But still, Nico actually found himself enjoying the time they spent together.

He thought of Jason and Will.

He also liked spending time with them.

All in all, his stay at Camp

Half-Blood had turned out to be a pretty good decision.

He had healed up completely from his shadow-traveling thanks to Will, and Jason had always been a great friend to him in the first place.

They were actually frequently spending time together now.

Sometimes even with Percy included.

Though, somehow, the three seemed even more awkward around each other than Nico was with them.

He got out the bathroom and put on a fresh set of clothes. Stupid orange Camp Half-Blood sweaters.

The only downside of staying here.

He put his sweater on and the fitting Camp Half-Blood Jacket but grabbed his new aviator's jacket and put it on anyways.

A gift from Reyna when she had noticed Nico really missed his old one.

At the thought of her, he smiled.

She was a great friend as well. More like a sister to him, really.

He was especially looking forward to meeting her this Christmas.

It would be great actually talking to her in person again, instead of through Iris-Messages and through Jason, who was pretty much constantly traveling between the two Camps nowadays.

As Nico grabbed his Stygian Iron Sword and was about to leave the cabin, he noticed something lying on the floor. He frowned and bent down to pick it up.

It was…an envelope?

He turned it over in his hands, but all it said was 'Nico' in big fancy letters that looked as if they had taken ages to perfect.

Huh?

He opened it carefully, wondering if the Stoll brothers were trying to pull a prank on him again.

But no itching powder or acid or similarly harming substance poured out.

Instead, there was a

single, cream colored paper folded on the inside.

A letter?

Who would send him a letter?

He gingerly unfolded it and began reading.

 

[Dear Nico,

I know reading isn't the easiest with your dyslexia, but I found this the best solution.

I know you're probably surprised to find somebody writing you a letter in the first place.

But I have a very good reason for it.

I love you, Nico. I've been in love with you for quite a while now.

I would love to tell you this face to face, but I'm worried of how you'll take the news.

So, I've decided to go about it this way.

Nico, I wish to do something for you – I want to show you how much you mean to me.

So, I've prepared a little surprise for you.

I'm not sure if you're a Christmas person, but I'm hoping you'll like it, anyways.

From today on until Christmas Eve, I'll give you a little gift every day, like your own personal Advent Calendar.

On Christmas Eve, I shall come out to you and tell you my feelings face to face.

If you don't return my feelings, that'll be okay. This isn't to win you over, Nico.

I just wish to make you happy.

I love the way you smile.

Though, of course, I hope you might just as well like me back, even if only a tiny bit.

Have a good first day of December, Nico.

Remember to stay warm.

Hope you like your first gift.

I love you,

Your Secret Admirer]

 

With his dyslexia, it took him quite a while to read, and by the end of it, Nico wondered if he had misread the letter.

What?

He frowned, letting his eyes hush over the text once more.

He didn't recognize the handwriting.

Then again, the people close to him didn't really write much.

His mind was spinning.

A secret admirer? Somebody loved him? What?

He turned the letter around, but there was nothing on the back of it.

He looked at the envelope once more, searching for a hint to whom it could be from.

This had to be a prank from the Stoll Brothers.

Definitely.

He wanted to crumple up the letter and throw it away, but found himself putting it gently back into its envelope.

_This was one cruel prank._

He walked over to his bedside table and dropped the letter inside.

_Dumb prank._

He shook his head, unbelieving.

He knew this must be a hoax.

Why was he keeping it then? And why was his heart beating like crazy?

Just when he was considering paying a surprise visit to the Stolls, there was a loud knock on his cabin door.

He frowned and went to look out the window next to it.

Jason was grinning back at him upside down, flying in the air.

Nico couldn't help but grin at his best friend, before rushing to open the door.

"Hey, Nico!" Jason's enthusiastic voice sounded through his cabin like the laughter of a child and the blonde came rushing in, wrapping Nico into a tight hug.

Ah. Yes. Nico was still trying to get used to Jason's recently developed tick to hug Nico whenever he saw him.

Really, whenever.

"Morning, Jason. So, you're staying at Camp Half-Blood the week?" He asked, since he had thought Jason would be leaving soon again because he was already at Camp for three days now.

Usually, he only stayed three days. At most.

"Yeah. I'll be staying for a while, too. Got it all settled with Chiron and Reyna. You'll have to endure me until Christmas."

Unwillingly, Nico's thoughts wandered off to the letter. He shook his head, trying to shake out the thought of that stupid prank as well.

"Really? That's great. Piper will be really happy, I'm certain." Jason's smile went lopsided for a moment.

Huh?

"Ah…yeah, I…probably."

Nico frowned.

"Is something wrong with you two?"

Jason waved it off.

"Just…ah…let's just say things didn't turn out as expected…"

Nico blinked.

Weird.

Last time Jason had been here, Piper and him had seemed quite happy together. Though that had been months ago.

Then again, Nico barely talked to Piper and rarely saw her around the Camp, since he usually spent his time either helping Will, running around with Percy or fighting until he was sore in the arena with Clarisse and the other Campers.

"Well, I'm sure things will work out alright." Jason seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then nodded and grinned at him again.

With his glasses, he sure looked cute.

Nico scolded himself.

He shouldn't think like that of his friend.

He did admit he liked him quite a bit, but Jason was straight and he respected that.

Jason also trusted him.

And he wasn't going to misuse that trust or make things awkward between them.

"So, you ready to go?" Jason asked, looking expectantly at him.

Nico frowned. "Go where?"

"Well, outside, for once. There's a hell lot of snow around. We could…I don't know…do some snowball fights and build snowmen…"

Nico scowled.

Snow…

Cold…

Blah.

Jason noticed and laughed heartily.

Then Nico felt Jason's hand on his arm and next moment, the blonde pulled him after him out of the cabin and into the cold.

***

"No, stop it. I'm already dripping wet and frozen to the bone." Nico complained three hours later.

It wasn't far from the truth. He was practically drenched from head to toe, thanks to Jason, Will _and_ Percy deciding he was the best target for their snowball attacks.

They all laughed.

Jason still had bits of snow in his hair and was equally drenched, while Percy was dry as a bone (stupid water powers) and Will had managed to evade most attacks made on him but had hit them all thrice as much.

And then he kept telling everybody he didn't inherit anything from Apollo other than his healing abilities. Lies.

Will was also the one walking towards him now, patting him on the shoulder and flashing him one of his dashing smiles.

"Okay, fine. Let's go somewhere warm before you catch a cold, Neeks."

Nico felt his face getting hot.

He didn't particularly like being called 'Neeks', but for Will he made an exception.

He was a pretty good friend after all – his best friend, next to Jason. Nico admitted he had kind of taken a liking to him.

Not necessarily as a possible boyfriend – he didn't even know whether Will was straight or not – but as a normal friend, somebody to laugh and spend your time with.

He had helped Nico with his plans on changing the cabin up a bit and, well, he did also get him back to his health after he had nearly faded into the darkness.

They had gotten rather close in the past months.

Nico let him wrap his arm around his shoulders and pull him with him.

The other two popped up no second later.

Percy's arm wrapped around Nico from the other side.

Uh, no.

Nico evaded both of them and quickened his pace, with Jason chuckling next to him.

Hm?

He looked around and found Jason grinning broadly at the two boys behind him.

Nico glanced over his shoulder, seeing both Will and Percy glare at Jason.

What?

They noticed his glance and smiled at him.

"How about we go to my cabin? It's the warmest." Will offered.

"No way. It's going to be

cramped. How about mine?" Jason complained, but Will and Percy booed.

"We don't want to stare at that big statue of Zeus all day, forget it."

Jason rolled his eyes. Nico did, as well.

"How about my cabin, then?" Nico said and blinked, surprised at himself.

He never really invited anybody over.

Even though the four of them spent a lot of time together, they usually always picked him up at his cabin and dropped him back off there after spending the day outside or in one of the other cabins.

All three of them looked at him.

Then all three grinned like Cheshire Cats.

Nico blinked, dazzled.

"Sure!" All three of them replied enthusiastically.

Next moment, Nico was in the firm grip of…all of them, really…and they hurried off to Nico's cabin.

He had to admit, he felt a bit weird, but in a good way.

***

In his cabin, Percy made a show of insta-drying everyone, while Will checked the state of the cabin (after all, he did help most with the refurnishing) and Jason started a fire in the open fireplace.

As Percy touched Nico's shoulders to dry him with his powers, Nico found himself flushing slightly.

Stupid him.

He shouldn't be like this. It was great being friends with Percy.

No need to behave like this all the time.

He still shivered beneath the touch.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked him, letting his gaze travel over Nico for a moment before flashing him a smile.

Nico nodded quickly and felt his clothes drying instantly.

"That's pretty cool." He said, not knowing what else to say.

Percy chuckled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"You think so?"

Nico wasn't really sure what to reply to that, but was spared the answer, because Jason showed up at his side.

"Well, at least there's one useful quality you have." He remarked and Percy looked at him disgruntled.

"You're just envious because all you can do is fly around like a blonde superman. Very helpful, by the way. Especially in the cold."

Jason scowled.

Nico rolled his eyes.

"Please…would you stop it? You're always fighting when you're together. Can't we all just get along?"

Both boys looked around at him surprised, instantly dropping their argument.

Will popped up

behind Nico, ruffling through his hair.

"Yeah, Neeks is right. It's Christmas time – the time for forgiveness and love! Let's bury our differences and have some fun together."

Nico felt his ears getting hot and swatted Will's hand away.

He also didn't like getting his hair ruffled.

It made him feel…weird.

Percy and Jason eyed each other warily for a moment, then sighed defeated and nodded. Nico's lips tugged upwards for a moment, but then he turned away, aiming for his bed.

"So, what do you want to do today?" He asked, flopping down on the side of his bed and looking around at the others.

Will instantly sat down to his left, way too close. But meh, that was simply how Will was.

Jason was the next to flop down to the right of Nico, leaving Percy to stand before them and blink, seemingly having missed his call.

Nico looked around at the two boys next to him, grinning victoriously towards Percy.

He rolled his eyes.

"So…what do you want to do?" He repeated, wondering what the hell they were up to this time.

"Hm, no clue. How about some cuddling? It's cold outside, after all. We don't want to catch colds, right?" Will offered, throwing Nico a suggestive smile.

Nico outright blushed.

No. No, no, no, no, no and _no_.

"How about some games? I think I finally got the hang of Pokémon." Jason offered and Nico could feel him swatting Will's arm away as he tried to put it around Nico.

Nico was inwardly grateful to Jason for that.

Trust a best friend to know when the other best friend was crossing lines.

It wasn't Will's fault of course.

He was simply a very open person, not thinking in the direction Nico was thinking, at all.

"Ugh, not games again." Will complained, rolling his eyes and dropping backwards onto Nico's bed.

"How about a nice Christmas film then?" Percy chimed in, unceremoniously shoving Will aside and flopping down next to Nico.

Way too close.

Nico jumped up, covering his flight with walking over to the other side of the cabin, rummaging through a drawer.

Ever since Leo had shown up with Calypso, things like TVs and games which had been impossible to keep before due to monsters were now no problem at all anymore.

Leo had built some type of additional mist-machine that would obscure Camp Half-Blood pretty much completely, only allowing people to find it who had been there before or who had the permission to find it from the Satyrs.

It had been his way of making up for his 'death'.

Calypso and Leo were mostly in Bunker 9 nowadays, exploring it and working on new projects together to make their dream of a shop together come true.

"I don't really have any Christmas DVD's." He said after a while.

He felt somebody closing in behind him.

It was Percy.

The hairs on his neck began standing up and he felt goose bumps appearing on his skin.

No, not now.

Percy stood close behind him and looked over Nico's shoulder into the drawer.

"Gods, Nico, how many Disney DVD's do you have?"

"Jason gave them to me." Nico said immediately and felt himself blushing.

Blah.

"Yup. I thought he should catch up on them since he kind of missed all of that stuff due to his stay in the Casino."

"Not to mention that you got me all the Superman movies."

"Oh, come on, you liked them."

"Not as much as the Harry Potter Series he got from me though." Will chimed in.

Percy went to grab a DVD, brushing lightly against Nico's arm with his own.

Nico instantly recoiled at the touch. Percy looked around at him questioning, but didn't say anything, instead holding up 'Nightmare before Christmas'.

"How about this one?"

Will and Jason appeared to the left and right of Nico.

Nico shrugged.

"Fine by me." He muttered.

"Sure." Will agreed, shrugging as well.

"Don't you have a shirt with Jack Skellington, Nico?" Jason asked, frowning.

Percy raised an eyebrow at Nico, but he was already over at his closet, pulling out a black t-shirt with a Jack Skellington head on it.

"Yeah, I do." He said, unsure whether he should be embarrassed or proud.

"Want to put it on? Would certainly fit to the movie." Will asked and took the DVD from Percy, working on the TV and moving it across the room so they could all sit/lay on Nico's bed to watch it.

Nico felt his ears getting hot.

Should he really?

"Yeah, I haven't seen you wearing black for ages. I'm surprised you're okay with wearing the Camp shirts so much." Jason said, flopping down on the bed and watching Nico still holding up the shirt.

"I'm not. I hate it. But Chiron asked me to do it, so…yeah…"

"Aw, I'd have liked seeing you wear it. Looks like it would suit you." Percy said and grinned at him, making his insides all fuzzy.

Blah.

Okay, maybe he wasn't really over Percy after all.

He sighed defeated and took his aviators jacket off, neatly putting it on the hook on his closet door where he usually put it, closely followed by the Camp jacket.

As he was about to take off his sweater, he noticed three pairs of eyes on him.

Why were they all watching him?

He suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Erm…do you mind?" He muttered and they all blinked.

"Aw, come on, Neeks. We're all guys. No need to be shy." Will winked and Nico felt the heat rising in his face again.

He looked around to Jason, who only smiled reassuringly and then to Percy, who surprisingly was the only one looking downwards to the floor, averting his gaze.

Nico hesitated a moment longer, then took off his sweater.

Instantly, he heard a whistle from Will.

"Nice abs, Neeks." Nico flushed a dark shade of red and hurried into his shirt.

"Will, leave him alone." He heard Jason say quietly and Will chuckled.

Nico pulled the shirt down and wrapped his arms around himself.

He still felt self-conscious.

He didn't really know why.

All in all, Will was right.

They were all guys.

But maybe that was exactly the problem.

Because, after all, Nico was gay.

The others might not really think that way, but while they might mind what girls thought of them, Nico did care about what _they_ thought of him.

He knew Will had meant it as a compliment, but still…it felt weird. Good weird, but still weird.

He moved over to the others who were already sitting on his bed, except Percy, who'd been surprisingly quiet, standing next to the bed and gazing at Nico.

"You okay?" He asked, genuine worry clearly audible and Nico nodded quickly. He was fine. Just a bit embarrassed, but that was all.

He hesitated in front of the bed for a moment. Jason and Will had made space for him between them.

Which was really sweet, but he felt as if he was leaving Percy out then.

Even though he wasn't exactly keen on being so close to Percy, Percy and the other two didn't really get along that great and he usually came around just for Nico.

So he should at least not cut him out.

But if he sat down next to Will, Jason might be upset, especially since he rarely was at Camp Half-Blood to begin with.

If he sat down next to Jason however, Will might be upset.

He felt himself getting into a bit of an inner conflict right there.

While Will handled the TV remote, Jason seemed to have noticed Nico's behavior, since he looked up at him questioning, then around to Will and Percy.

He lifted an eyebrow to Nico. Nico shrugged ever so slightly, showing him he was at a loss.

Jason smiled reassuringly.

Then he moved over a bit.

"Percy, come, sit down already." He said and Percy looked around at Jason, a tad surprised, then he looked to Nico as if expecting him to complain.

Nico didn't.

Instead, he flopped down next to Will and stared intently at his hands.

He wasn't sure whether he was glad for Jason to do this or not. Percy sat down beside him, though making sure they didn't as much as brush against one another.

Nico wasn't sure whether he was happy or upset about it.

He felt Will shuffling closer.

"Ready?" He asked the group and Nico jumped up again.

"No, wait. Snacks." He said and hurried off.

How could he have forgotten?

He heard movement and Jason came to help him.

As they were away from the other two, the blonde leaned in closer.

"You okay?"

Nico nodded.

"Yeah…"

Jason smiled. He really had a pretty smile.

"And you are okay with sitting next to Percy? No hard feelings?" the blonde asked.

Nico scowled at his choice of words.

Really? 'Hard' feelings?

That was just cruel.

Jason held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean it like _that_. I just meant…you know…"

Nico made a face and waved him off.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just didn't want him to sit next to Will or you because I know you guys don't get along that great."

A smile hushed over Jason's face. "Always so considerate of everybody."

"I hope you aren't upset now…I mean, you're the only one of them that's barely at Camp…"

"What? Nah. I'll be here until Christmas, so I have lots of other possibilities to be sitting next to you, Neeks."

Nico made a face. "Why does everybody call me that?"

"You don't like it?"

"Not really."

"Then I won't call you that."

Nico blinked.

Then he blushed and looked sideways. Jason was always so considerate of everyone around him.

"You…you may call me that, you know. You're my best friend after all." He glanced up to Jason, just to see him smiling at him fondly.

"Really? That's sweet. In that case, I'll keep calling you Neeks, then."

Nico averted his gaze and grabbed two packs of chips from his secret hiding place from the Harpies.

Every cabin had that now, as well.

Jason grabbed some more and some big bowls and they returned to the others, who really hadn't moved whatsoever, looking up at them expectantly.

"Ready now?" Will asked, looking around at them once more when Nico and Jason had sat down again.

They nodded and Will started the film.

***

An hour later, they were still watching film, Will lying next to Nico and snuggling closer to him from the left, Percy laying on the other side and slowly inching closer from the right, while Jason still sat upright, sometimes looking over to where Nico laid on his tummy.

Nico had his eyes fixed on the TV, trying to ignore both Will and Percy. Will's arms were around him and he watched the TV with his head sideways, too busy snuggling closer to Nico, who stared intently straight ahead.

Percy had kept shuffling ever since he had lain down and Nico could swear he was definitely getting closer each time, if only by mere inches.

He sighed and grabbed another handful of chips, just to brush against Percy's hand as he was about to do the same.

They looked at each other for a moment.

Then Nico pulled his hand away, flustered and looked straight ahead again, watching the film with renewed interest even though he already knew it by heart.

He heard Percy sigh but didn't look around.

Will tightened his grip on him and he glanced at him for a moment – just to notice how close their faces were.

Will blinked, equally surprised and then grinned broadly, rubbing their noses against together.

What the…

Nico recoiled, making a sound in the back of his throat that sounded similar to 'EEK!'.

He jumped back so hard, the back of his head collided with Percy's forehead, his body barreling into him.

What did Will just do?!

"What the…are you okay?" Percy asked, holding his forehead, his other arm instinctively wrapping around Nico, who had momentarily turned into a pillar of salt, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, his face slowly turning towards Percy.

Wah, so close!

His head snapped around to Will, who only looked a tad surprised, his head tilted sideways, his hand brushing a strand of Nico's dark hair out of his face softly.

"Everything okay? Sorry if I got too close right there." He said and Nico could feel his face burning.

Percy's arm around him didn't help much either.

He hurried out of the bed, almost knocking out Percy in the process.

"Nico?" Will asked while Percy seemingly tried to follow Nico, which ended with his legs entangled in the blanket and fall off the bed, hitting the floor headfirst.

"What did you do this time, Solace?" Jason growled and went after Nico, who stormed off towards the bathroom.

Seriously, why did Will do that?!

Did friends do things like that nowadays?

And why had Nico bolted like that?

Not to mention how he had barreled into Percy.

And why had Percy wrapped his arm around him like that? Not that he…hadn't enjoyed it… _damn it_.

He shook his head wildly. Jason caught up to him at the bathroom door.

"Nico, what happened?" He asked, holding him back by the shoulders.

Nico noticed how his

heart was still beating way too fast, his breath coming out in huffs.

"Ah…erm…nothing…I…" He stammered, swallowing hard.

Jason sighed and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Did Will cross the line again?"

Nico's shoulders sagged.

Then he nodded.

"Should I talk to him…again?"

Nico shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm simply not used to people getting…so close. That's all."

"That may be, but he should still respect it if you don't like something. What did he do this time?"

"He…he rubbed…well…" Nico flushed and pointed to his nose awkwardly.

He hated being like this. This was NOT how he usually was.

He was the _Ghost King_ , damn it.

What was he doing, getting all flustered and nervous because his best friend rubbed noses with him?

Well, it WAS an Eskimo kiss…

That thought wasn't exactly helping.

Jason frowned.

"He…oh…" Realization dawned on his face. Then he scowled.

"Okay, that _is_ taking it a bit far. I'll talk to him." And with that, he stormed off.

"No, it's alright!" Nico called, hurrying after him.

But Jason was faster.

"Solace, we have to talk." Jason announced and grabbed Will by the back of his collar and dragged him outside.

Will had been tending to Percy's bump on the forehead he had gotten from both the floor and Nico, but didn't complain, letting Jason pull him after him wordlessly, only looking apologetically to Nico.

"Sorry, Neeks." He mouthed.

Nico was at a loss for words.

"Seriously, what happened? Did he hurt you, Nico?" Percy asked, rubbing against the red spot on his forehead.

Nico shook his head.

"It's fine, I just…panicked."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Want me to have a talk with him too, when Jason is done with him?"

For some reason, the thought made Nico laugh for a second. Then he felt guilty and shook his head again.

"It really wasn't anything bad. I'm just not…used to that kind of…stuff. I mean, I _am_ back from the 1930's…"

Percy chuckled and flopped back on the bed.

"Sorry for barreling into you like that though." Nico said quietly and tentatively sat down beside Percy, enough space between them to not make him uncomfortable, but close enough to not make Percy feel stupid.

He laughed and waved off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm quite thickheaded after all."

"Yes, yes, you are."

Percy scowled, but then chuckled, leaning back slightly and gazing at Nico affectionately. Nico looked down at his hands as to not meet his eyes.

"But seriously, what did he do? You just suddenly bolted like that, I was momentarily worried he kissed you or something."

Nico felt his face burning again.

"Wait…he…he did…?"

"No! It was nothing like that…"

Percy raised an eyebrow. Then he leaned forward, grabbing hold of Nico's chin and looking him deep in the eyes.

Nico stiffened.

Their faces were _so_ _close_.

"Jackson! Do I have to have a chat with you next?!" Jason's voice boomed through the cabin and he glared daggers at Percy, who immediately let go of Nico.

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"You mean, you didn't do anything 'yet'?"

"I'd never push myself onto Nico against his will." Percy complained, making Nico blush slightly.

What the hell?

"Hey, I didn't push myself onto him! All we did was-…" Will started, but Nico groaned loudly, interrupting their argument.

"Please…would you all just drop it? Will, I'm sorry for bolting. It wasn't your fault. I'm simply not used to people getting so…so close. Jason, it's okay, Percy didn't do anything, he was just worried. Percy, erm…sorry again for barreling into you like that."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Jason sighed, Percy waved off laughing and Will scratched the back of his head awkwardly while muttering something along the lines of 'It's okay, I know I went a bit too far'.

Nico couldn't suppress a chuckle at the reactions of his friends. Then he flopped down on the bed and rummaged through his bedside table to get out a tube of cream for Percy's bruise.

"Who's the letter from?" Percy asked, looking over Nico's shoulder into the drawer.

Nico blushed and wanted to close it shut before anybody else saw the letter, but too late.

"You got a letter? With your dyslexia?" Jason asked and was at the nightstand within a heartbeat.

Will was also there, with a curious expression on his face.

"It's…it's nothing. Just a prank, really."

"A prank?" Jason asked and before Nico could as much as blink, he had the envelope already in his hands, turning it around, staring at the fancy way his name was written on it with the other two right behind him.

Nico blushed and tried to lunge for it, but Jason (why did he have to be so tall?!) held it out of his reach and pulled out the cream-colored paper within.

"What is it? A love letter?" Will asked.

"Looks like one. You sure this is a hoax?" Percy frowned and looked more closely at the envelope.

"Yes. Now give it back…"

"If it's a hoax, why not let us read it?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow and unfolding the letter.

Nico hesitated.

Then he scowled and flopped back onto the bed.

"Whatever. Do as you please. I don't care." He muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and not looking at them.

He didn't know why he was acting like this.

It was just a stupid joke anyways.

"…I know reading isn't the easiest with your dyslexia…if they know that, then why bother?" Will read out and frowned.

Nico blushed. "What are you reading it out loud for?!" He complained, flopping back onto the bed and hiding his face in his pillow.

This was stupid.

"'I've been in love with you for quite a while now'…whoa. I don't think this is a hoax, Neeks…" Jason muttered and Will shook his head next to him.

"I wish to do something for you. Show you how much you mean to me. That actually sounds sincere."

He agreed.

"A little gift every day? What did you get?" Percy asked, sounding rather curious.

Nico blinked and looked up.

"Actually…now that I think about it…nothing. See? Told you it's a hoax. Probably from the Stolls."

"I don't think so. I met them earlier and they told me that for this Christmas they have big plans with the Ares kids. Also, I really don't think they'd go through the trouble of WRITING, just to get to you, Nico." Jason muttered.

"You got nothing?" Percy asked, seemingly disappointed.

"Nope. The envelope is all I found."

"Maybe you'll have to search for it. Like with Easter eggs." Will offered.

"Or the person simply hasn't given it to you yet and is waiting for a better time." Jason said.

"I…I don't care." Nico muttered and put his face back into his pillow.

Somehow, this was really awkward.

Here he was, getting some kind of 'love letter' that might or might not be a hoax and his friends were all over it.

Maybe he should have just thrown it away after all.

"Actually, I think that's a really sweet idea." Jason said and flopped down on the side of the bed.

"It's just a prank. And even if somebody actually…actually liked me, don't you think this is taking it a bit far?"

"You make it sound like it's so far off somebody might actually have genuine feelings for you, Nico." Will said, also flopping down on the bed and casually putting his hand on Nico's lower back.

Nico scowled.

As did Percy, who flopped down as well and swatted Will's hand away before Jason could.

"Hands to yourself, Solace." They both said at the same time and glared at the blonde.

"But seriously, I think you should give it a try. How about we look around a bit. If there really is nothing to indicate a gift, then we can settle on this just being a cruel joke and hunt the people down that did it. But if we do find something, I think somebody loves you." Percy said, shrugging.

Nico's ears turned red.

Somebody loved him. _Yeah, right_.

As he turned his head, he found all three of them looking at him fondly.

 _Blah_.

He was the Ghost King.

Why was his heart beating so damn fast?

He sighed, defeated.

"Fine, we can look for 'something'. But I still think this is all a joke."

"Really? Then why did you keep the letter?" Percy asked.

Nico flinched and looked away, refusing to answer. Why _did_ he keep it?

He saw a motion out of the corner of his eyes and instinctively grabbed for the letter as Percy was about to drop it into his bin.

"No-…I mean…I don't care. If it's a prank, I want to know who it was and I need the handwriting for that. If it's…if it's actually real, then it would be rude to just throw it away." He muttered and put the letter back into his bedside table.

When he glanced at the others, they were all grinning broadly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Let's go find that gift." Percy said, smiling at him fondly and the three jumped off the bed.

"Wait…now? Here?" Nico asked, slowly getting out the bed as well.

"Well…yes? Where did you find the envelope?" Jason asked.

"At the door." Nico nodded towards his cabin door and watched his three friends intently searching.

He sighed.

This was stupid.

First of all, he was still thinking this was a hoax and didn't feel like wasting his time searching for something that wasn't there.

He turned off the TV where 'A nightmare before Christmas' was still running.

Nobody was paying attention to it anymore anyways.

What were they so excited about? Even if there was somebody, what if the letter itself was the gift?

Also, even if there was something, why would it be inside his cabin? Nobody ever went into his cabin, other than his friends when they picked him up or dropped him off.

Or the cleaning harpies, of course.

Wouldn't he have noticed if there had been somebody inside his cabin at any point?

He admitted he had no idea when the envelope had appeared on the floor, but he guessed somebody must have slid it inside from underneath the cabin door.

He watched Percy cowering on the floor, his backside high in the air with his face almost on the floor.

Oh gods.

Nico looked away, trying to push the pictures out of his head.

He looked over to Will, who was at the windows, looking outside and inside on the window sills, as well as letting his gaze travel through the room, seemingly looking for something unusual.

As their eyes met, he winked.

Nico's eyes widened for a moment and he turned away, checking on Jason, who was pretty much looking at the rest of the rooms intently.

He sighed. This was so…childish.

He joined the others.

***

In the late evening hours, they all dropped down on Nico's bed again.

"Nothing." Percy said, seemingly sulking.

"What a shame." Will muttered, sighing.

"And it did sound sincere." Jason frowned.

"Told you so." Nico murmured, rolling his eyes.

They all looked around him sternly.

"What? It's not like I'm a very lovable person."

Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

If looks could kill, he'd be insta-fried by now.

"Don't say that." Will muttered, wrapping his arm around him and rubbing his face against his shoulders.

"You're a great person." Jason agreed and wrapped his arm around him from the other side, nuzzling against his hair.

Percy appeared behind him, wrapping his arms around his midriff and resting his chin on Nico's head.

"I agree. Whoever that person was, they're a coward for chickening out like that."

Nico felt

his heartbeat quickening rapidly.

 _Why were they all so close_?!

He looked upwards slightly.

"Percy…I don't think you get it…it was just a joke."

But Percy shook his head.

"I don't believe it. Nobody at Camp would write such a letter as a prank, Nico. We all have the worst dyslexia ever. I know I do. I would never write even half as much for a stupid prank."

"For once, I agree with Percy. Just imagine yourself sitting down and trying to write a love letter with ADHD and dyslexia for a person with ADHD and dyslexia. You don't just do that if you aren't serious." Jason muttered.

Will sighed. "The person should have written down where he/she put the stupid gift, seriously. This is stupid."

Nico blinked. Then he fought against the closeness and jumped up.

"What? Too close again?" Jason asked and the other two looked equally surprised.

"Hm? Nah, I just thought of something…" He muttered and walked over to his aviator's jacket.

 _'Remember to stay warm_.'

He pulled it off the hook, but instead of putting it on, he rummaged through the pockets.

"What is it?"

"Something wrong?"

"You okay, Neeks?"

Nico frowned and pulled out a small square package, wrapped in red Christmas wrapping paper and a little green bow on top.

What…?

Instantly, all three of them stood around him, staring down at the small gift just the size of Nico's palm.

"Whoa, how did you figure that out?" Will asked, frowning and gingerly took the package from Nico, eyeing it from all sides for a possible giveaway of either giver or content.

"It said 'remember to stay warm' in the letter. At first I thought it meant I shouldn't be outside too much, but then I thought to stay warm, I usually put on my jacket, right? And that was kind of the only place we didn't look…" He explained.

Jason took the package next, inspecting it quietly.

Then he smirked and passed it to Percy. "So, that proves it, then, right? You have a secret admirer, Nico." He said, and Nico found himself blushing.

Percy passed the package back to him, a shy smile dancing on his face. "Well, open it, then! Let's see what that person came up with!"

Nico took the gift from him, careful to not let their hands touch by accident and felt a rush of excitement surge through him.

He wasn't exactly a gift type of person. But the thrill of anticipation always got the better of him.

Usually, he ended up feeling disappointed with whatever the gift turned out to be, so he braced for something really lame.

Slowly, he began unwrapping it, taking off the pretty green bow and opening the red wrapping paper.

Maybe he should have taken a picture of it. It really had been beautifully wrapped.

Then again, he didn't possess a camera.

Inside was a small square box in black. It looked a lot like something to hold jewelry in.

But who would get him jewelry?

No guy or girl in their right mind would think of something like that when looking at him, right?

At the thought of a girl being behind all this, he felt a bit sick.

Not because the thought disgusted him or anything, quite the contrary, he'd be flattered.

But for a girl to go through all this trouble just to then be told 'Sorry, I'm gay'…that would be pretty harsh.

The others got way too close, trying to get the best view. He hesitated a moment longer, then slowly opened the lid.

"Well, those are certainly something." Will whistled.

"Those are beautiful." Jason chimed in, looking quite impressed.

"They'd definitely suit you, Nico." Percy agreed, nodding.

Nico was at a loss of words.

 _Earrings_.

Two skull earrings.

To his surprise, they looked really, really good.

Nico's mind was thrown into turmoil.

He did get his ears pierced, but that had been ages ago and he had only worn earrings, like, twice in his life.

He didn't even know people knew he had his ears pierced.

He took one out gingerly, afraid he could break it if he treated it too roughly.

It was truly beautiful.

He had to admit he had looked around every now and then whether he could find something suitable, but usually all the earrings he found either were too girly for his taste, or looked horrible.

He looked up at the others, who seemed to wait for a reaction from him.

He smiled tentatively.

They grinned back broadly.

"Want to try them on?" Will asked and Nico found himself shrugging, trying to hide the fact that he actually did like them. A lot. Now he only hoped they suited him.

Will took them from him carefully, flashing him a smile and began brushing his hair aside. Jason popped up behind him, collecting his hair in the back to some sort of mini-ponytail.

He felt his ears getting hot but ignored it, focusing his gaze straight ahead – where Percy stood, watching him intently.

Nico inwardly hoped he didn't look too stupid.

It felt pretty weird. For a moment, piercing through the holes in his ear hurt, but not by much, and he didn't even flinch.

It felt rather…unusual. Different. New.

As Will pulled his hand back from his second ear and went in front of Nico again, Nico couldn't suppress touching his ear gently, feeling the cool metal beneath his fingertips.

He liked the feeling.

Jason let go of his hair.

"Actually, a ponytail would really suit you, Nico." Percy commented, looking thoughtful.

Will nodded wildly. "Definitely!"

Jason chuckled. "Let's first get him to a mirror so he can see how they look on him." He said and pushed Nico towards the bathroom door.

"I…I can walk there myself, you know…" He muttered, flustered as they all followed him.

"They do look pretty good on you. Whoever got them for you, they have pretty good taste." Will said and Nico found himself agreeing to that as he saw his reflection in the mirror.

They did look good on him. He tentatively held his hair back to imitate a ponytail.

Jason promptly huffed out a small laugh and came to his aid.

"Anybody got a rubber band?" He asked and Will began searching through his pockets while Percy only shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Nico.

Nico felt rather self-conscious, so he kept his gaze on his reflection, wondering how other people must see him.

Compared to the usual bangs and the long hair framing his face, a ponytail did make him look…different. Older, maybe.

He liked it.

"Here we go. Will this be good enough?" Will asked and held out a black rubber band. Where he had gotten that from, Nico had no idea.

Jason took it and began tying Nico's hair back, then stepped back to see the outcome.

Will whistled.

"You certainly give off a 'Ghost King'-aura." He said, impressed.

"Yeah, that really suits you, Nico. You look completely different." Jason agreed. "Older." He added thoughtfully.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, it does look pretty good on you. Both the earrings and the ponytail. Would probably look really cool with one of your usual black t-shirts, not necessarily Jack Skellington."

The other two looked down to Nico's t-shirt and grinned.

"Though it still looks pretty good." Jason commented.

Nico looked at his reflection once more.

Then, he couldn't suppress the grin any longer.

"So, I take it you liked your first gift, then." Percy teased and the others chuckled.

Nico shrugged and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Whatever. I still think it's a hoax."

The others gave him exasperated looks.

"Nico, you do know those are real silver, right? No person in their right mind would get Somebody _real silver_ if they didn't mean it." Jason tried to explain to him.

"Yeah, which is really awesome. Usually people get cheap stuff that actually supports cancer or causes really nasty rashes or the like. But real silver…somebody must have quite a crush on you." Will agreed.

"I wonder who that would be…" Nico muttered, not meeting their eyes.

They exchanged glances.

"Probably a really sweet and shy guy, judging by the way he's going about this." Will guessed and inspected the box again that had held the earrings.

Nico blushed.

He hadn't really told Will he was gay.

Which meant either Jason must have told him (which he doubted) or he must have shown it.

Which wasn't very surprising, since he always squirmed away at the lightest touch and ran away whenever he got too close.

"If it _is_ a guy…" He muttered under his breath.

Jason seemed thoughtful. "True, you didn't really…well…'come out' to Camp yet. I would actually not be surprised if it _was_ a girl behind all of this."

"Great…" Nico muttered and looked down.

Maybe he shouldn't be wearing the earrings then.

If it truly was a girl, it would be unfair to accept her gifts even though there was no chance whatsoever he'd like her. At least not in a romantic way.

"I think it's a guy." Percy said quietly.

They looked around at him.

"How come?" Jason asked, but Percy just shrugged and went to collect the letter.

They followed.

"It's just…I don't know. Don't you think a girl would have written differently? I don't know much about girls, mind you, but would a girl really sign a letter like that saying 'Your secret admirer'? And the way it says 'I love you, Nico. I've been in love with you for quite a while now', that sounds more like a guy, doesn't it?"

The others looked thoughtful for a moment.

Nico's heart was beating like crazy, thinking of the way Percy had said 'I love you, Nico'.

He scolded himself. He was supposed to be over Percy already.

"I think you're right." Will said after a moment and gave the letter back to Nico, who put it back into its envelope and into his bedside table.

"Well, that's a first." Percy muttered and Will looked at him annoyed.

"Not my fault you barely say anything sensible." They scowled at each other.

Jason held up his hand. "Shush, you two. But I also agree. I wouldn't have thought Percy of all people would think that far – yes, I went there, Percy. But it makes sense. A girl would have phrased it differently."

Nico nodded quietly.

"Now the only question is: How do we find out who it is?" Will wondered and the other two nodded.

Nico kicked at some imaginary dirt.

"Don't you want to find out as well, Neeks?" The blonde asked, but Nico shrugged.

"I don't know…whoever it is, they'll come out to me on Christmas, right?"

"You're seriously going to wait until then?" Percy asked, surprised.

"Well, yes."

"But aren't you curious?" Will asked, unbelieving.

"Yeah, but…"

"That's, like, 24 days away! How could anybody be that patient? Don't you at least want to try to find out who it could be?"

Nico shrugged.

Of course he wanted to know.

But at the same time he didn't.

What if it was somebody he didn't even know? Somebody he had never even looked at?

Or what if it was somebody he _did_ know? Well, that chance was pretty damn slim.

The only people he did know where the people from the Argo II., the Stolls, Will and some other few Campers. Most of them were girls, most of the guys in relationships and none of them were gay, in the first place.

So, it could only be somebody he didn't really know. Which made him wonder if he even wanted to find out.

What to say to a person you have never even seen before?

But maybe it really was a cute guy and given the time they might work out?

He unwillingly found himself looking towards his three friends that were now talking heatedly about possible ways to find out who the Admirer could be.

Would he even be willing to try it with somebody?

As Jason had said, he hadn't really come out to the Camp yet.

Jason knew because of that moment with Cupid.

Percy knew because, well, Nico had kind of told him he used to have a crush on him.

And Will knew because…because of what?

"Hey, Will, how did you know?" He found himself asking before even thinking it through completely.

The three stopped arguing and looked at him in confusion.

"Knew what?" Will asked, tilting his head.

"That I'm…you know…"

Jason made a face. "Nico, there's nothing wrong with being…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You've told me. I just want to know how he knew? Did you tell him?"

Will fidgeted.

"He didn't. You kind of…told me yourself…" He muttered and Nico flushed.

"I…when?" He asked, racking his brain for a moment in the past months when he had actually even at least considered telling Will.

"You talk in your sleep. Back when you were in the infirmary, I'd sometimes check on you to see whether you were alright. You kind of…talked quite a bit about…well…this and that…" He explained and glanced towards Percy for a moment, making Nico realize what he must have talked about.

Jason scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Percy seemed extremely interested in his hands all of a sudden.

Nico wanted to die.

"Oh…I see. Well, then…" He tried to get his thoughts together.

How embarrassing.

He didn't even want to _think_ about what he had babbled about in his halfdead state.

"Erm…so…none but you know, right?"

"Well, I didn't tell anybody." Will muttered.

"I didn't, either." Jason said pointedly and Nico felt bad for half accusing him of telling Will.

"Me neither." Percy murmured, their gazes meeting for a moment.

Nico pursed his lips and looked away quickly.

"Well, it doesn't really matter, anyways. We'll see in 24 days who this person is. Unless they lose their interest until then."

"Nico!" Came the exasperated cry from all three of them.

Nico held up his hands. "Yeah, yeah."

***

Hours later, when they finally left for the night, Nico found himself looking at the reflection in the window next to his door as he waved the others goodbye.

That get-up really did suit him somehow. He grinned and turned away, getting ready for bed.

He wondered faintly what that admirer would think of next, but scolded himself.

He shouldn't be looking forward to gifts from a stranger.

Even if they seemed…nice.

Nico scolded himself for those thoughts, but then allowed himself to ponder who he knew from sight, and whether the 'admirer' could be one of them.

He didn't really want to find out.

But then again, he did.

He put on his black pyjama pants and crawled beneath his blanket, cursing the coldness outside.

Then, he found himself wondering once more whether he'd get another gift tomorrow, as well as what it might be.


	3. Day 2: 2nd of December

**Day 2: Tuesday, 2nd of December**

The next morning, Nico woke up early because he needed a toilet.

Though when he sat down on his bed again, all thoughts of going back to sleep vanished as he noticed the small bag of sweets on his bedside table.

Since when was _that_ there?

He took it gently and inspected it.

It was normal cellophane with a pretty ribbon around it, the same color as the ribbon used for the gift he had received yesterday.

But what really got to him was the content.

He wasn't really a sweets person, but these were a wide assortment of candy he hadn't seen in _years_.

There was Barley Sugar, Pear Drops, Sugared Almonds, Aniseed Rocks, Sour Apple Cubes, Fruit Rocks, Rosy Apples and some he didn't even recognize, though he thought he had seen them in stores back in his younger years at some point too.

That was candy they used to sell in his time, back in the 1930's, when he was born!

He couldn't believe it.

Who would actually bother looking for these?

Then he noticed a card that must have been beneath the bag.

He picked it up gingerly.

 

[Dear Nico,

I love your sleeping face. You look so at peace.

I have never seen anything more beautiful.

I'm sorry if I creep you out by coming into your cabin without your permission or knowledge.

I didn't want the sweets to get trampled or smashed, else I would have placed them outside.

I hope you like them.

I'm also glad to find you wearing the earrings. I hope they weren't too hard to find.

They really suit you.

Have a nice 2nd day of December.

I love you,

Your Secret Admirer]

 

Nico looked at the clock on his bedside table.

It was barely 6am in the morning, who would be up at this time to sneak into his cabin to bring him sweets?!

And what was that about him being… _beautiful_?

He blushed and looked at the bag once more.

This really was cute, though.

Nico found himself smiling fondly.

Then he scolded himself.

Really? He didn't even know the person who gave this to him!

His hand went to his ear absent-mindedly, touching the skull earring gently.

He smiled and flopped back down on the bed, taking the bag of sweets with him.

He didn't want to open them just yet. But he did however admire the wide assortment.

Where could people get these nowadays anymore anyways?

How much trouble did that person go through to get to them?

Maybe there was a store in the nearby city and Nico had simply never noticed.

He inspected the goodies inside through the cellophane.

It all looked so beautiful.

He sighed and put it inside his bedside table, where the first letter was safely kept as well.

Then he took the card once more and read it, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

Was there really somebody at Camp who loved him?

The thought made him nervous, though in a good or bad way, he couldn't say.

He felt the anticipation rising in his chest, but pushed it down.

He wanted to know who it was that actually went through all this trouble.

But at the same time, he was worried of who it might be.

He put the note in his bedside table as well, then put his arm over his eyes.

He should probably turn off the lights and go back to bed. But he couldn't be bothered getting up.

He didn't like the darkness much in the first place.

The irony of it.

He, as the Ghost King, not liking darkness much.

He chuckled, thinking he truly was pathetic.

Then, he fell back asleep, a stupid grin on his face.

***

"So, what was your gift today? Or do we have to search for it again?" Will asked as he rushed past Nico into his cabin.

"I love how you don't even ask whether you can come in and just storm into my cabin whenever you come over." Nico said drily and Will winced.

"Aww, sorry, Neeks. May I come in?" He asked, his demeanor instantly innocent and rather adorable, grabbing Nico's hands and looking at him with puppy eyes.

Nico blinked and pulled his hands away.

"W-Whatever." He muttered and was surprised how warm Will's hands had been, considering the cold outside.

Will grinned and ruffled through his hair.

"You know you like it!" He said and then pulled out a black rubber band.

"You want me to make you another ponytail?"

Nico hesitated. Then he shrugged.

"Sure, why not. It did feel nice having the hair out of my face."

Will chuckled. "Why don't you just get it cut then?"

"Nah."

Will rolled his eyes and they went into the bathroom, where Will began working on Nico's hair.

Of course, Nico noticed how Will didn't just simply take his hair as Jason had done and pulled it back to a ponytail.

Instead, he made a show of first brushing through them over and over with Nico's hairbrush and massaged his head while he was at it.

Since it felt good, Nico let him do it.

Will smiled at him affectionately, finally finishing his ponytail.

Nico was just beginning to be proud of himself, thinking that, at least once, things didn't get awkward between them.

But right then Will leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Nico, resting his head on Nico's shoulder, his lips inches away from his neck.

"What…" Nico muttered, flustered, watching their reflections in the mirror with wide eyes.

"You're so adorable." Will said, smiling fondly.

Nico squirmed.

"Oh, come on. Why are you always running away? Don't you like it?" Will called after him and followed as Nico rushed out of the bathroom.

"It's not like that. But seriously…"

"But if you like it, what's wrong with it, then?"

"Will, I'm…I'm…"

"What? From the 1930's? I know that."

"No, I'm _gay_!"

There was silence for a moment.

Nico's face was burning. He had never actually said it out loud like that.

Will stared at him.

Nico had no idea what the expression on his face meant.

He sighed, searching for the right words to not get across wrong.

He didn't want Will thinking he was getting any 'hard feelings' or the like, as Jason had put it yesterday.

But before he could find those words, it knocked on the door.

Will and Nico looked around.

Another knock.

"Hello?" Percy's voice called from the outside.

Nico sighed and walked towards the door, not looking at Will.

"Hey, Nico. I know I'm pretty early but can I come insi-…hey, that ponytail really does suit you. Oh…hi Will. Am I…interrupting something?" He asked, looking from Nico to Will and back.

Nico glanced towards Will for a moment.

"Nah, we're cool. I was just asking Neeks what he got as a gift today." Will explained, shrugging and nodding towards Nico.

Nico looked down at his feet.

"Cool, so, what was it? Another set of earrings?"

Before Nico could reply, there was a noise outside the door Nico was about to close. He pulled it open again, looking at a grinning Jason.

"Morning! I want to know what it is, as well!" He said and stepped inside hurriedly.

Nico rolled his eyes and pointedly looked outside for a moment to check whether anybody else wanted to come in.

Of course, there was nobody else, so he closed the door and looked around to three sets of curious eyes staring at him.

He sighed and walked over to his bedside table, pulling out the bag of sweets.

"Aw, that's sweet." Percy exclaimed and took the bag, inspecting it.

"I don't even know some of them. What are they?" Jason asked, looking closely at the content.

Will came closer, but kept his distance from Nico.

Nico's heart stung.

Great, now Will probably thought him weird or something.

He wouldn't be surprised if Will avoided him now, worried Nico might jump him or bother him in any other way.

Just great.

But Will grinned at him. "I bet they are back from your time, aren't they?"

Nico nodded quietly and tentatively got closer to him and the bag of candy.

"Yeah, they got sold around the 1930's and 1940's. I practically grew up with these. I really wonder where they found them." He explained, shaking his head and taking the bag again.

"My mother used to work in a candy store, but to be honest I have no idea whether they sell these." Percy muttered.

Jason whistled. "Your admirer must have gone through quite some work then to get these."

Nico felt his ears getting hot and nodded.

"Probably."

"Can I…can I try one of those green cubes?" Will asked tentatively, staring one of the Sour Apple Cubes to death.

Nico chuckled and carefully opened the green ribbon. "Sure, you can all have some."

"What? But they're yours." Percy said, surprised.

"I don't mind sharing, you know."

"Well, in that case, can you tell me what those red and white little bricks are?" Jason asked, pointing at the small candies.

Nico grinned and held the bag open to them. "Those are Aniseed Rocks, if I remember correctly. They're actually quite good."

And thus, each one of them took out a few sweets.

Jason did try the Aniseed Rock, as did Percy, who was also eyeing a piece of Fruit Rock and a Sour Apple Cube in his hand.

Will had the Sour Apple Cube (which he actually liked, claiming 'sour stuff makes you happy and is good for your health'), a piece of Rosy Apple, and Barley Sugar.

Nico picked an Aniseed Rock for himself and grinned at the others.

It was quite fun to actually know something they didn't.

Then again, it was also great to taste these again.

They spend most of the day in Nico's cabin, either chatting, eating sweets (by evening, he barely had any left, but it had been worth it) or playing an upgraded version of Mario Kart where everyone fought against everyone with their own little characters.

Another brilliant idea from Leo, who had taken it upon himself to somehow edit in each and every person at Camp Half-Blood next to the normal characters, so each person could play as themselves in almost any game at Camp.

How he had pulled it off, Nico had no idea. He raced around in a black car with skulls on the sides, inside a scrawny pale character dressed all in black. Very authentic.

He kicked Jason off the road and into abyss shamelessly.

"Aww, not again." The blonde complained and adjusted his glasses, waiting impatiently to get back into the game.

Will was hot on Nico's trail, both trying to catch up with Percy, who happily fired shells at them and zoomed off with his blue kart that looked a lot like a dolphin.

Nico evaded Will's bright red kart by inches and chuckled as the blonde ran into an obstacle.

"Almost! I almost had you!" He whined, but laughed at the same time and raced after him.

Nico slowly inched closer to Percy.

"Oh no, you won't." Percy muttered, trying to block his way as to keep him from passing him up.

Nico could feel Percy next to him getting closer ever so slightly and pressed his lips together, trying to focus on the game.

Then Percy hit a fake item box and Nico zoomed past him over the finishing line.

"Noooooooooo~!" Percy wailed next to him, finishing as second, closely followed by Will.

Jason came around a minute later as the last (again).

"Almost!" Percy cried and threw his arms playfully around Nico, putting his head at his shoulder.

Nico chuckled and let him, though he could feel his heartbeat quickening.

He noticed Will looking at them out of the corner of his eyes and wondered faintly if he thought bad of him ever since their conversation this morning.

Maybe he now thought it was just Will Nico had a problem with.

Guilt gnawed at him.

Maybe he really shouldn't have reacted like that.

Though there was a difference between throwing your arms around somebody and wailing about losing a game loudly and wrapping your arms around somebody from behind, getting way too close to their neck.

Or maybe it wasn't, and Nico was simply overthinking things.

He patted Percy's head quietly and noticed Jason inching closer from the other side, dropping his face on Nico's still free shoulder.

"Why am I always last…" He complained and Nico put his controlled down, patting his head as well.

Both boys looked up at him with their sea-green and sky-blue eyes.

Nico felt his insides churning and pushed them both away unceremoniously.

"Crybabies."

They both laughed and sat upright again while Will zapped through the settings.

"Want to team up and play in teams of two?" He asked them.

"I want to play with Nico!" both Jason and Percy immediately exclaimed and Nico felt his face getting hot.

Seriously, those guys.

Will chuckled and watched as Jason and Percy glared daggers at each other over Nico's head.

"That's it, I'll team up with Will, then." Nico said and saw Will practically _beam_ at him.

"What?" "No~!"

"We can switch later. Seriously, it's not like I'm that great of a driver." Nico muttered exasperated, though he was somehow happy that his friends made a fuzz about being in a team with him.

Of course, it was stupid and he shouldn't be happy about that, but he simply relished in the fact that his friends actually saw him as somebody worth teaming up with.

There had been enough situations in his life where he had always been the odd one out.

It simply felt good…belonging.

He took another Aniseed Rock and popped it into his mouth as they started up the next race.

Jason and Percy still scowled at Will, who grinned victoriously at them and then smiled at Nico, winking.

Nico smiled back.

Maybe Will wouldn't take their conversation the wrong way, after all.

***

"That was one hell of a day." Percy huffed and put his arm over his eyes, already lying in Nico's bed as if it was his own.

Nico refused to think much about it.

"Yeah…though we weren't outside, at all." Will muttered and looked towards the window.

It was snowing again.

At this rate, there'd be even more snow on the ground tomorrow.

And it would get even colder.

Nico shivered at the thought, just to feel Jason's arm wrap around him and pull him closer.

Nico grinned at him.

Jason grinned back.

He really looked adorable with those glasses.

Even though they kept sliding lower on his nose.

Nico pushed them back up without thinking, causing Jason to blink.

Then he grinned even broader, practically dazzling Nico.

"So, what are we going to do tomorrow?" Nico asked, looking away to the other two.

"Hm, I don't know. At this rate, there'll be so much snow outside, it would be a waste not to at least build _one_ snowman." Will muttered.

"Really? Snowmen?" Percy asked while he turned over the card of Nico's admirer once more.

Nico still couldn't believe this whole thing.

Seriously, who would just pop up and write you letters and notes and give you gifts?

He loved the earrings (he was also still wearing them) and the candy had been awesome.

So, he wasn't really complaining.

But still, he couldn't help but wonder who that mysterious person might be.

It could be anybody.

Yet, for some reason, it felt to Nico as if it must be someone who actually knew him. And who would know him without Nico knowing them?

It just all seemed so weird.

"So…how's it going with Annabeth, anyways?" He asked casually, tearing himself out of his thoughts.

Percy dropped the card. Jason stiffened. Will took a startled breath.

"Huh? Did I miss something?" Nico asked, blinking, looking around at his three friends.

Percy made a face, putting the card down on Nico's bedside table and started fidgeting with his hands, seemingly thinking of words.

Jason next to him scratched the side of his neck awkwardly and looked at a spot far away.

"Dude, how could you even miss that? Everybody talked about it." Will laughed, looking at Nico unbelieving.

"About what? Did something happen?"

"Annabeth and I…we aren't dating anymore." Percy explained.

Nico's heart stopped for a moment.

What?! Why?! How?! When?! Where had he been?!

All the time, whenever he had been around the camp, everybody had always talked about Percy and Annabeth and what an amazing and great couple they were.

How could he have missed something like this?

"How…? Why…?" He asked weakly.

Jason intently stared at his hands.

"Piper and her…they got along better than we expected…" He muttered quietly.

Nico blinked.

"Wait…what?" He jumped up, looking at his two friends.

They both showed unbelievable interest in their socks.

Emphasis on the 'unbelievable'.

"So, you're telling me your girlfriends hooked up with each other and you're both single now?"

Both nodded quietly.

"Oh gods…" He muttered, at a loss for words.

And here he was, worrying about a secret admirer.

So, _that_ was why Jason had acted so oddly at his remark about Piper.

They hadn't even been together anymore by then.

How selfish had Nico been not to notice that?

Why hadn't he actually paid more attention to them?

Here he was, always only thinking of himself, while his friends had to deal with their girlfriends suddenly dating each other and leaving them.

Oh gods.

Nico did something very un-Nico-like.

He went up to both of them and hugged them.

"I'm sorry to hear it. I'm really sorry. I wish I had known." He muttered.

The two boys, taken aback by Nico actually permitting physical contact, slowly inched closer and wrapped their arms around him awkwardly.

"It's…really not a big deal…" Jason muttered.

"Yeah, we're completely cool with it…" Percy insisted.

"Shush." Nico ordered and felt Will closing in behind him, looking at him with puppy eyes.

He permitted him into the hug as well.

Hugs were something really strange.

Hugging one person was already pretty awkward and intimate.

But hugging three people at once was actually even worse.

They all had their arms wrapped around each other, feeling each other's body heat and refusing to look each other in the eye.

Percy and Jason still had their faces cast downwards, while Will only patted Jason's shoulder as Nico patted Percy's.

His heart was racing in his chest, but he tried to ignore it, inwardly hoping that Percy, whose head was pressed against his chest, didn't notice.

They stayed like this for what seemed like forever.

When they finally did part, the two boys looked up at him rather surprised.

"Who'd have thought the Ghost King would initiate a hug?" wondered Percy and got a glare from Nico as reply.

"We're really okay, though, Nico. To be completely honest, Piper and I didn't work out that great lately anyways. So, it was really only a matter of time." Jason explained quietly.

Nico's expression softened.

"Why didn't either of you tell me? Jason, you have an excuse for not telling me while you were travelling, but seriously, you could have talked to me about this…and same for you, Percy. Just that you don't have any excuse whatsoever. When did this happen?"

Both shuffled awkwardly.

"Around two month ago was the official break-up." Percy then admitted quietly.

"Official?"

He fidgeted.

"Actually, things weren't running that smoothly with Annabeth anymore, either. Lots of arguments and all. It wasn't all one-sided either, mind you. She demanded me to spend more time with her, but all she wanted to do was research architecture stuff and what not or get my opinion on things I have never heard of before. Well, anyways, it seems like we only work well together when there's an impending war or something. When we have too many other things to worry about to actually spend time together like a normal couple."

Jason nodded in agreement.

Nico sighed.

"But we're good. I mean…Pipes and I are still talking, though it was kind of awkward in the beginning. We're pretty much friends now. It's really not that bad." Jason shrugged.

Percy did, too.

"Same here. Actually, now that I think about it, I think it's even better this way."

Nico sighed deeply.

Could anybody believe these guys?

***

It was way past curfew when they finally parted ways at Nico's cabin door.

"Tomorrow, we'll definitely try find out who your admirer is, Neeks." Jason whispered and grinned broadly, but Nico only adjusted his glasses for him and made a hand gesture to shoo.

Percy chuckled quietly, ruffling through Nico's hair affectionately.

"Yeah, definitely. And then we look if he's good enough for you, Nico."

Nico blushed. Good enough for him?

It was more about whether he was good enough for that person.

Percy seemed to read his thoughts, because he gave him a stern look.

"You're a really great guy, Nico. Never doubt that. Get a bit of self-confidence, man."

Nico only smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Off to your cabin before you get caught, Percy."

Percy made a face. "As if they could ever get me." He bragged and waved, sprinting off towards his cabin.

Nico chuckled and turned to Will, who was the last to leave.

He was surprisingly close, standing right next to him with a small smile on his face.

"Well…goodnight, then." He said and Nico swallowed.

"Yeah, goodnight. And Will…"

"Hm?"

"Sorry about this morning. I didn't mean it like that…"

But Will waved off. "It's okay. I get it. But, Nico?"

"Yes?"

"I know you're gay. Don't beat yourself up about it. We're friends. If I do something you like, don't think of what other people might think. Just go with it. And if you don't like something, then just tell me. But don't force yourself to do or not do things just because of others. Okay?"

Nico looked down to his feet.

"Come on, this isn't a lecture. I just want you to enjoy yourself. You're always thinking of everybody around you. Try to have some fun for once." Will said and put his arm around him, pulling him close to his body and ruffling through his hair.

Nico couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"No, not my ponytail!" He complained, but didn't stop Will either.

"Yes!" Will exclaimed, grabbing hold of the ribbon band in Nico's hair and pulling it out.

As Nico's hair flew back in his face, he felt himself getting pulled closer to Will.

Next moment, Will kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Nico." He muttered and let go of him before Nico even had the time to think about whether he should push him away, freeze, squirm or just do nothing at all.

"G-Goodnight…" He whispered as he watched Will hurrying off towards the Apollo cabin, waving back at him.

He shook his head.

There was nothing wrong with a kiss on the forehead. He had given one to Hazel, as well, after all.

He still felt his face being annoyingly hot.

He walked back inside and changed into his pajama pants, dropping into bed.

As he turned his head sideways, he noticed the card still lying on his bedside table.

A smile hushed over his face and he took it carefully, putting it inside to the envelope with the letter.

As he drifted off into sleep, he wondered how it would be if one of his friends was his admirer.

Of course, he knew it was utterly stupid and there was no way whatsoever, but he was tired and simply couldn't resist.

Sighing happily, he fell asleep.


	4. Day 3: 3rd of December

**Day 3: Wednesday, 3rd of December**

Thud. Thud. Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

Nico turned around, away from the loud noise.

"Nico! Open the door!" Came an urgent voice from the door.

Nico groaned and sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes.

 _What the hell_?

He fought himself out of bed disgruntled and checked the time on the little clock on his bedside table.

It was barely 3am in the morning.

 _Seriously_?!

He heard another series of knocks on the door and groaned again, fighting himself to the door and opening it.

It was Percy.

"Percy, what the hell? I was _sleeping_." He asked, his eyes already half closed again.

Percy looked sheepishly for a moment, but then simply pushed past him.

"Nico, I have decided. I'm going to keep watch for your admirer."

"You…do that…can I go back to bed, then?" Nico muttered, not really listening, already letting the door fall closed behind him and trudging back to his bed.

"What? Yeah, okay, if you want to. Nice pyjama pants, by the way."

Nico looked down on himself for a moment, glad he was wearing more than his boxer shorts.

That would have made for one interesting conversation.

He waved off and flopped down on his bed face down.

Percy chuckled and sat down on the side of his bed.

Nico was just dozing off, when something occurred to him.

"Wait, why are you here again?" He asked, moving his head sideways and looking at Percy with one half-open eye.

Percy laughed.

"I'm waiting for your admirer. He's bound to show up in your cabin again, isn't he?"

Nico sighed and yawned.

"Shouldn't you hide, then?"

Percy blinked.

Then he jumped up.

"You're _absolutely_ right. I'll look for a good hiding place. You can count on me."

"Mhm…whatever…goodnight…" Nico muttered, already falling back asleep.

He heard a chuckle and felt the blanket being pulled out beneath him and somebody tucking him in.

But he was too tired to really care, so he only snuggled into the warmth and sighed contently.

***

"Nico, are you there?" Came a voice outside the door.

Nico shot up, instantly awake. "What…?"

The first thing he noticed was an oddly shaped package right next to him.

The second thing he noticed was a small piece of paper laying on his bedside table.

The third thing he noticed was Percy's snoring from…beneath his bed?

He frowned and leaned over the bed, looking beneath it.

Surely enough, there was Percy, sleeping and snoring happily away on the floor, a trickle of drool running down the side of his mouth.

It was so bizarre Nico couldn't suppress a laugh.

A loud knocking on the door shook him out of his thoughts.

Ah, yes. There was somebody at the door (again).

He hastily got up and walked over to the door, opening it quickly.

It was Jason.

"Morning. Were you still sleeping?" Jason asked and Nico sighed, letting him inside and closing the door again.

"Kind of. If you also want to catch the admirer, you're too late."

"What? What do you mean?" the blonde asked, frowning.

Nico gestured towards his bed. "Well, first of all, he seemed to already have been here and second…" A loud snoring from Percy alerted Jason to his presence and thus took away any reason for Nico to continue.

Jason blinked and looked around, seemingly trying to discern where the noise was coming from.

Nico flopped down on his bed and pointed downwards.

Jason frowned and tilted his head.

"Seriously? Percy? What is he doing in your cabin?"

"If I remember correctly, he wanted to catch the admirer. Showed up at, like, 3am in the morning and was completely euphoric about it. Come to think of it, what time is it?"

"It's already past 9am. You both missed breakfast."

"Damn. Oh well, he must have fallen asleep before meeting the admirer then. Seriously, that got to be the worst hiding place ever." Nico muttered quietly and looked down to Percy once more.

"Think we should wake him? Or at least give him a blanket?" He asked, but Jason waved him off.

"Nah, let him sleep. By the way, I got you some breakfast." The blonde told him with a grin and put down a neatly folded napkin filled with a bun with jam, some grapes and a brownie.

Nico chuckled. "A brownie? Really? Thanks, though."

They both grinned at each other and Nico began eating.

It was really nice of Jason to take care of him like this.

He nibbled on his bun, letting his eyes travel over to his bedside table, where the card was. Then, his gaze hushed over to the oddly shaped package next to him.

Jason followed his gaze and grinned.

"Looking forward to your third gift?"

Nico shrugged. "I suppose I can't deny I'm quite curious."

Jason chuckled. Nico knew he'd love to take the card and read it.

Which was why he found it so kind of Jason to actually wait for him to do it first.

He didn't know why, but it only felt right that he got around to read whatever his admirer wrote to him, first.

He hurriedly finished eating, keeping the brownie untouched until the very end, just to then break it in half and share it with Jason. The blonde grinned at that.

Then they both were too curious to wait any longer. Nico went for the card first, instead of the package.

Somehow, he first wanted to read whatever the mysterious person had written.

 

[Dear Nico,

I hope you liked the candy.

Today, I've decided I'd at least let you know that we know each other.

I don't want you worrying some stranger you never met suddenly stalks you like this.

I love you, so I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.

You're an amazing person and I wish you could see that, as well.

I hope you enjoy your gift.

Sleep well, my angel.

Have a nice 3rd day of December.

I love you,

Your secret Admirer

P.s.: You look really hot shirtless]

 

Nico blushed as he read the last sentence and looked down on himself.

Maybe he should consider putting on a shirt? But then again, that had been a compliment. It shouldn't make him self-conscious.

He turned the note over, but there was nothing on the back.

As he felt Jason's gaze linger on him, he tried to compose himself and passed the paper on to him, seemingly indifferent.

Then he turned to grab the oddly wrapped package.

It was completely deformed and felt rather squishy, in red paper with a green bow again.

He turned it around in his hands.

What _was_ that?

Jason still fought with the note.

Nico wondered vaguely what the mysterious person might think when he found out that Nico let others read what he wrote.

Then again, he was surprised that his secret admirer didn't say anything about Percy lying beneath his bed, snoring.

Maybe the person didn't care?

Nico certainly would, if he did this for somebody he liked and suddenly there was another guy in the cabin that didn't belong there.

He highly doubted somebody could _not_ notice Percy, what with him snoring so loud. But maybe the notes were already prepared and what not?

It wasn't that farfetched. After all, this whole thing must have already taken some time to prepare.

What if all the cards were prepared already as well, just waiting to be dropped off at the appropriate day?

But how could he have known to see Nico shirtless?

Had he added that 'P.s.' when he had been in Nico's cabin, or had that been from yesterday, still? He kind of always slept shirtless, after all.

Nico noticed how he absentmindedly fumbled with the tape on the wrapping paper.

Should he really open it, already?

He looked around to Jason, who was just raising an eyebrow at the last line on the paper and looked around at Nico, eying him from top to bottom.

Nico flushed.

"Well…I gotta admit, he's right. You certainly look good shirtless, Neeks."

Nico made a face and took the paper from him.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He muttered, clearly flustered, but he tried to make up for it with an air of annoyance.

Judging by Jason's amused chuckle, he hadn't fooled the blonde.

"Aren't you going to open your gift, then?"

Nico sighed and made a show of _slowly_ peeling off the rest of the tape and taking off the ribbon.

Jason laughed. "Don't even act like that. I can see it in your eyes that you're dying to find out what's inside."

"Shush. I am the _Ghost King_." Nico exclaimed, which only made Jason laugh harder.

Then he put aside the wrapping paper and blinked at what he was holding. Jason's laugh turned into some sort of cough-giggle (which sounded really weird).

Nico blinked even more.

It was…

"Is that a plush-dog?" Jason asked, frowning and seemingly wanting to take it from Nico.

But Nico found himself hugging it tightly.

"It…it looks exactly like Mrs. O'Leary…" He muttered, surprised.

Jason looked at him, equally surprised. "The hellhound?"

Nico nodded quietly, his mind racing.

He hadn't seen Mrs. O'Leary in ages. Barely anyone knew he had gotten along with her quite well.

She was one of the only few animals that didn't freak out around Nico.

He looked at the stuffed animal once more.

It really did look exactly like her.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked.

He nodded, pressing the plush dog against him again.

Then he dropped sideways onto the bed, Mrs. O'Leary Jr. tightly wrapped in his arms.

Jason chuckled. "Really?"

"Not a word." Nico threatened.

"Fine." Jason said, though Nico could practically feel him grin.

For a few minutes, there was utter silence.

"Aw, man, I must have fallen asleep!" Percy wailed beneath Nico's bed, and they both looked down.

"Morning, Perce. Guess you missed the admirer." Jason greeted with a broad grin.

Nico pulled his head back as Percy scrambled out from beneath the bed, not wanting to knock their heads together by accident.

"What?! Damn it! What did you get, Neeks?"

Nico blushed. Having Will and Jason call him 'Neeks' was already bad enough.

But having Percy say it, too…he shook his head inwardly.

"Erm…this." He muttered, trying to clear his mind as he held up the stuffed animal.

Percy looked genuinely surprised.

"That looks like Mrs. O'Leary." He said and Nico nodded.

"I know right?" He subconsciously pulled the dog closer to him, again.

Percy grinned. "May I hold it for a moment?"

Jason looked up as well.

Nico didn't really want to give her out of his hands. But he couldn't really say that, so he sighed and held the dog out to Percy, who grinned and took it with over-exaggerated care, making Nico roll his eyes.

"Aw, this is _really_ sweet!" The green-eyed hero exclaimed and, next moment, he snuggled with the toy, himself.

Nico couldn't help but smile. Jason chuckling next to him. Percy grinned at both of them, the plush animal pressed against his chest.

"You don't reckon we can share her, do you?" He asked, looking almost pleading.

Nico blushed. Jason took the cuddle toy from Percy and inspected it.

"If Nico shares her with anybody, it's got to be _me_. _I'm_ his _best_ friend, after all." He then stated seriously, making Nico's insides tingle.

"What?! But I know him longer than you do!"

"Not really. You were gone most of the time and the rest you were too busy looking at-…"

"Seriously? Both of you, shut up. Mrs. O'Leary Jr. stays with me and me alone." Nico interrupted whatever Jason might have said and got his gift back, pressing her against his chest, arms around it protectively.

Both boys looked around at him.

"But she's so cute!" Percy complained.

"Get yourself an admirer then, Percy." Jason said nonchalantly and Percy crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Blah. Nah, I'd be more the admirer than the admired."

That statement made Nico's heart race.

He couldn't suppress his thoughts wandering off to the distant image of Percy being his admirer.

For a moment, he thought he was going to die.

Then he scolded himself, hiding his face in the stuffed dog and whirling around in bed, facing away from the two bickering demigods.

"You're unbelievable." He muttered, but the other two only laugh.

"You look so cute with that plushie, Neeks." Percy commented, making Nico glad his back was facing him, because he could totally feel his face getting unnaturally hot.

"You should have seen how he looked after he read the note. The most adorable blush on his cheeks, I'm just saying." Jason chimed in.

"Jason!" Nico complained, now grabbing the pillow and pushing it over his head to hide his face completely.

The guys chuckled.

"Really? That bad? Lemme see!" Percy insisted.

Nico turned around, the plushie still close to his chest, the pillow still on his head, though he peeked out from beneath it tentatively, watching Percy trying to read the note.

His face was scrunched up and he was pretty close to the paper, trying to discern the words. Nico kind of felt bad for him, but he wasn't going to read it out loud.

Never that.

Just the thought made him all embarrassed and squeamish inside.

Though he had to admit he was surprised Percy actually read the notes.

He would have thought Percy would be one of those to complain for hours about having to read something and then let somebody else read it out for him.

Especially with so much text.

And handwritten, to boot.

Though Nico admitted it was nice handwriting.

Not scribbled in a hurry, yet also not that neat and tidy to indicate hours of work.

Percy's eyebrows raised at the last line on the note and his lips quirked up.

Nico felt his face getting hot and hid beneath the pillow again.

"Well, well. He's got good taste, that's for sure." Percy commented grinning and put the note down on Nico's bedside table.

Nico could practically feel his friends look him up and down.

Okay, that was it.

"I'm getting dressed." He said and jumped out of the bed.

"Aww, come on, Neeks, no need to be embarrassed." Percy called after him, but Nico was too flustered to reply.

Indirectly, Percy had just said he looked good, right?

His heart was beating way too fast in his chest and he hurried off to the bathroom, only now noticing he was still holding Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

He looked around to the two boys chuckling next to his bed.

He supposed he could throw her to one of the two.

Then again, he didn't really want to throw her, at all.

He hesitated for a moment, then sighed defeated.

"Jason, catch!" He called, and – though it was difficult – threw him the plush dog.

Jason looked around, catching it with ease.

"No comment." Nico dared him and shut the bathroom door, practically feeling Jason's broad grin.

***

Taking a shower without a spare set of clothes and two guys in his cabin might not have been Nico's smartest idea.

So now, here he was, standing in front of his bathroom door with nothing but a towel around his waist and his hair dripping wet, unsure what to do.

They were all guys.

He could seriously just walk out there like this as if nothing was amiss whatsoever and grab himself some clothes.

He checked his reflection in the mirror. His face was flushed, his ears dark red.

Okay, so much for the 'acting as if nothing was amiss' part.

Couldn't it have been Reyna, Annabeth and Piper? He couldn't care less about running around like this in front of them.

With Hazel he would care, because he knew it would freak her out seeing him half naked. She came from a different time as well after all.

But the others, he completely wouldn't mind.

Why was he like this? Jason and Percy were his friends.

Okay, he admitted he still had some feelings left for Percy.

And, maybe, just maybe, he also had a tiiiiiny bit of a crush on Jason.

Minor, though.

It wasn't as if Nico fancied any guy just for being a guy – but Jason was a _great_ guy. He had looks, as well as personality…

Nico sighed. Not very helpful.

He should just stop thinking so much and get this whole mess over with.

For a moment, he considered calling for Jason to bring him some clothes.

That would be an option, as well, after all. An embarrassing as hell one, but possible, nevertheless.

He shook his head.

Then he took a deep breath and opened the door.

He tried to walk casually through the room – and failed miserably. The closer he got to the others, the more he started fidgeting and looking away.

Percy and Jason looked up, blinking, then both grinned broadly.

"He _certainly_ has good taste." Percy commented.

Jason whistled, winking at Nico.

Nico felt his face getting hotter.

Then another head popped up. On his bed sat Will, Mrs. O'Leary Jr. in his arms.

He looked Nico up and down with a rather curious expression.

Nico looked away.

"Really, guys…" He muttered, moving over to his closet and noticed how he was walking way too fast for it to be considered 'casual'.

He also kind of ripped open his closet instead of opening it normally.

Hurriedly, he pulled out his clothes, feeling somebody coming up behind him.

Seriously?

He felt Will's arms around him before he could even think of something to say that would indicate 'Go away!', without actually sounding so rude.

Not now…

"I got to admit, I'm impressed. You certainly look a lot healthier than back in the infirmary." Will said with a grin and placed his chin on Nico's shoulder.

Nico felt himself stiffen (no, not his lower body, but his body in general, mind you) and turned his head slightly.

He forced himself to focus. "Well, of course. You helped me get back on my feet after all. And I do eat more nowadays, as well."

Will turned his head, his lips inches from Nico's neck. Nico concentrated hard on not showing any form of pretty much any emotion.

He began unfolding and refolding his clothes in his arms and shifted uneasily, wondering whether he should just walk back to the bathroom or if there was something he was supposed to do.

Will nuzzled against his neck affectionately, grinning at him.

Then, suddenly, Jason had him by the scruff of the neck, pulling him off Nico.

"No." He said, sternly.

Will pouted.

Nico wasn't sure whether he was happy or upset at the interruption.

He looked around and saw Percy standing next to him, looking at him with an expression of…what?

Was that worry? Uncertainty?

He didn't really know.

Nico blinked and, not knowing what else to do, hurried off in the direction of the bathroom to get dressed.

When he came out again, Jason offered to make him another ponytail, holding up a box of rubber bands.

"I can do that, too!" Will complained, but Jason shot him a glare and he was quiet.

Nico didn't really know what to make of it. It wasn't as if he…hadn't liked it…

Though it certainly had felt weird.

He wondered vaguely if Will was like that with everybody.

He had spent a lot of time with the blonde in the infirmary, and he still helped him out every here and there, but Will had never really seemed that…affectionate with others.

At the thought of Will being like this only with him, his heart doubled its speed.

But he pushed it out of his mind.

This was stupid. Will probably wasn't even gay. He just wanted to be friends with Nico.

Though maybe Nico should then say something about the closeness.

Not that it affected him…okay, maybe it did…but he didn't want rumors spreading through camp, eventually ruining Will's reputation or something.

As Jason worked on his still damp hair, Percy popped up next to him again.

"May I?" He asked, though Nico wasn't sure whether he asked Jason or him, nor about what.

Jason seemed to wonder the same thing, for both of them shrugged. Percy chuckled and gently placed his hand on Nico's head.

He didn't ruffle through his hair or pat him or anything like that, yet Nico could feel the warmth of the touch and somehow, that was all it needed to make him all warm and fuzzy inside.

Next moment, he felt his hair drying.

Then, Percy softly stroked through it, smiling down at Nico affectionately.

Nico knew he must look pathetic, looking up at him with big eyes and mouth slightly open.

But he couldn't even form a clear thought in his mind.

Damn it, he was supposed to be over Percy already!

He felt Jason's hands in his hair, pulling it together in the back and Percy looked towards the blonde, breaking eye contact with Nico.

Then he felt the hand remove itself.

Pity.

He had actually liked that.

Nico scolded himself.

He noticed how Jason put the rubber band on him, carefully wrapping it around his hair and trying not to tear out any strands or tug too hard.

Jason was always so kind and considerate.

He felt the hands retreating from his head and place themselves on the left and right of Nico's neck gently as Jason took in the outcome quietly.

"Yeah, that works." He then said and Nico could feel the hands applying some pressure to his skin, massaging. He leaned back against the touch.

Jason didn't chuckle or anything, instead keeping his hands there, continuing.

The other two didn't really seem to notice, eyeing Nico's hairstyle critically for a moment before nodding their approval with matching grins.

Jason pulled his hands back, much to Nico's dismay, though he didn't say anything.

He looked around him for a moment, noticing him flashing him one of his dazzling smiles.

Nico smiled back.

While Will always seemed the pushiest, ignoring borders and what not, and Percy the one that made Nico's heart flutter the most, Jason was the one who always managed to calm him down and relax him with his gentle nature.

Nico really liked that about him.

***

Since Will insisted on it, they spent most of their day outside, throwing snowballs at each other and building a whole snowman-family behind Percy's cabin.

While Jason and Percy kept bickering about the 'Father'-snowman, seemingly trying to perfect him in their own way, Will worked hard on the 'Mother', sculpting the snow as if it was clay. Nico had never seen anything like it.

He had worked hard to just make three big round balls of snow, placing them on top of each other and just making a traditional snow-man.

He kind of felt bad not having much skill.

He looked around to Percy and Jason, whose snowman looked like a freaking statue of a Greek god, though they kind of ruined it over and over because Jason wanted to make him more like Zeus (muscled and buff), while Percy wanted to make him look more like Poseidon (lean and cool).

Nico could only shake his head and put pebbles into his failed snowman, giving him eyes and a mouth.

Will looked over to him, laughing.

"That looks so cute!" He said, coming over to him and grinning at his work.

"Not really…but yours looks really cool." Nico muttered, nodding over to the now finished sculpture of a rather pretty female.

Will grinned sheepishly.

"I made it, thinking of my mother."

Nico hesitated for a moment.

Then he looked back to the snow-woman. "Must have been a real beauty."

Will beamed at him. "Yeah, she was."

They grinned at each other, then Jason and Percy appeared, still bickering.

"Oh my, Nico, this is adorable!" Jason exclaimed, looking at the failed snowman affectionately.

Percy blinked and looked around, too.

"Aww, that's cute. We should go find a carrot or something to use as a nose." He agreed.

Nico was visibly flustered. Here they were, building really awesome snowmen, and they still praised his fail?

He shuffled.

"It's really not that great. Yours are all much better, anyways…" He muttered sheepishly.

His friends only laughed and Will wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer.

"Nico, don't always put yourself down like that. Your snowman is perfect. Just look at what the other campers made. Yours looks like it jumped out of a picture book. All that's missing now is the nose."

"Yeah, and I mean we all cheated. Jason and I used our powers to form the snow and Will…"

"I melted it, thus forming it the way I wanted, Neeks. But you…"

"You made it all by yourself and it's perfect. It's perfect because you made it."

Now Nico seriously blushed and pushed his hands into his pockets. How could he possibly react to that? And since when did those three ever agree on anything?

He looked up at them and found all three of them beaming at him. Then a series of snowballs hit all three at the side of their heads.

Nico couldn't suppress a chuckle and looked around, spotting Clarisse and some other kids from the Ares cabin laughing maliciously and aiming another round of snowballs at them all.

"No! This means war!" yelled Percy and launched himself into the snow.

Jason laughed loudly and joined him, both building snowballs at top speed.

Will grabbed Nico and they both ran for cover behind Percy's and Jason's snowman.

Clarisse and the others launched at them.

"What's the plan?" Will yelled and Nico dodged a snowball, looking over to him.

"Not get hit and hit them lots, ourselves?"

"We're hopelessly outnumbered!" Will wailed.

"Guys, get over here!" Percy called and they both looked around.

Somehow, Jason and Percy had built a wall of snow that they hid behind right now, grabbing some snowballs and throwing them at the oncoming Ares kids, knocking them back.

Will and Nico exchanged glances.

Then they sprinted towards the snow wall.

Will got a snowball straight in the face and tripped, grabbing hold of Nico's waist and they both plummeted into the snow.

Nico fell facedown into the coldness, feeling Will's weight pressing onto him from above. Even with the snowball fight and everything else going on, he found himself blushing at Will's hands on his waist and the way his chest was pressed onto Nico's lower back.

"Get a room, you two!" Clarisse yelled at them and showered them in a load of snow. Will scrambled off him, laughing loudly and helping him up, partly shielding him from oncoming snowballs.

Nico was flustered, to say the least.

Yet he took his hand and let him pull him with him towards Jason and Percy, who had started their own onslaught, throwing unbelievable amounts of snowballs at the opposition (though mostly at Clarisse, who by now resembled a snowman, herself).

As they hid behind the wall of snow, Percy and Jason looked around at them, laughing.

"Here, grab some snowballs. Let's show them what we're made of!" Percy called, shoving several perfectly shaped snowballs at Nico, who blinked and huffed out a small laugh, instantly throwing them at oncoming Ares kids.

His hands were freezing cold, but he didn't mind. He hadn't had this much fun in like forever.

He looked around at Jason who beamed back at him – thus instantly getting a snowball in the face.

Nico laughed. All three grinned at him. Then they all got showered in snow.

Nico shook his head, openly laughing as he pushed them aside.

"Get down, kids and let the master take care of this." He said, grinning broadly and taking the frontline.

They let him.

He shot down the oncoming kids precisely at the right moments while evading snowballs being thrown in his direction.

Percy and Jason kept providing him with ammunition while Will began working on the wall a bit to make it sturdier.

Still, there were way too many kids to take down.

"Seriously, we are kids of the Big Three – and Apollo is awesome at stuff like this. Are you telling me we can't take down some Ares kids?" Nico turned to his friends.

They all had looks of determination on their faces.

"Let's turn this game around!" Percy called and rushed out, dodging attacks and showering people in snowballs.

"We can do this!" Jason yelled and took off into the air, controlling the winds to have all snowballs rebound that came his way and hit the people in the face that originally threw them.

Will laughed loudly and began shooting people down with skill that simply had to come from Apollo.

So much about 'only having healing powers'.

Nico kept his place behind the wall of snow, shooting down people and keeping an overview of the situation, regularly checking on his friends.

Will joined Percy's side at some point and even Jason came down to join in at the frontline, slowly pushing back the Ares kids.

That's when other campers decided to join in as well, laughing and putting snow into each other's clothes and whatnot.

Nico shared the space behind the wall with two Demeter girls and a Hecate boy, who bewitched some snowballs to keep hitting Clarisse in the face after she stuck one of the newbie Hermes kids into a pile of snow headfirst.

It was pretty funny actually.

Of course, they were all drenched and frozen to the bone, but the exercise kept them warm for now.

Somewhere in between, even Leo joined in with Calypso, with him setting himself on fire and letting all the snow melt that came his way while challenging them all to take him down.

Since he was on neither side, both sides then tried to shower him in enough snow to drown him.

In the end, Jason and Percy somehow managed to create a giant snow-wave that drenched his flames and then had to run away from Calypso, who rushed after them at top speed with snowballs randomly shooting out of nowhere at the two demigods.

Nico laughed and motioned to Will and they both went to their aid and showered Calypso, which then led to Leo trying to get at them through melting their awesome hideout.

So they had to run for it, as well.

Nico never had had more fun.

***

Hours later, they dragged themselves into Percy's cabin, where he insta-dried them again, though they still felt rather cold.

"Why is it so cold?" Nico muttered while Percy worked on the open fireplace.

Good thing every cabin had gotten one of those when it had been decided there should be winter at camp.

"I'm still up for cuddling. It's actually really healthy." Will pointed out and winked at Nico, who fixed his gaze on the water fountain in the corner, his ears turning red.

"Group cuddling? Sure, I'm in. Nico, get over here." Percy announced and Nico's head shot around.

"What?"

"Yeah, I agree. We're all guys, after all, so no harm there." Jason agreed.

Nico blushed.

"Dude, I'm freezing. I don't care whether you're a girl or guy, I just want to get warm." Percy said and, seriously, as weird as it was, all three of them threw themselves into Percy's bed, looking expectantly at Nico.

"Erm…no." He said, turning away and trying to run for it.

A moment later, three sets of hands grabbed him and he was pulled into the bed.

"You can't be serious!" He complained, trying to fight his way free.

 _What the hell_?!

"Gods, Neeks, you're even colder than me! Off in the middle with you." Jason said and pushed Nico over him towards Percy.

Percy's arms wrapped around him, his face dangerously close. "Dude, he's right. You're freezing." He said and snuggled closer.

Then there was another set of hands on him. "Percy, give him to me, I'm the hottest of us all." Will claimed and tugged on Nico's shirt.

"Guys…" Nico complained, but they ignored him.

"Really? The hottest? Just because you're a kid of Apollo…" Percy started arguing, but still grabbed Nico around the waist, pulling him over him to get him between himself and Will.

"Yeah, don't you be acting like that. Everybody knows I'm the hottest here." Jason insisted, and Percy turned his head while wrapping his arms tightly around Nico, pulling his back against his chest.

Nico thought he was going to _die_.

Will started wrapping his arms around him, too, grinning at him broadly and coming so close Nico's nose was pretty much touching his. He could feel the warmth from both Percy behind him and Will in front of him.

"Really, Jason? I'm the hottest here. Who likes blondes, anyways?"

"But I can fly."

"I can control water."

"How's that hot? That might be 'cool'."

"How's either hot? I'm the son of the sun god. If anyone's hot, I am." Will chimed him.

"Shush, you don't count." Both said and Will stuck out his bottom lip.

Nico stared at him. He was still too shocked to even blush.

His insides seemed on fire. He wasn't feeling cold at all. He was feeling way too hot.

His heart was beating hundred times too fast and he thought he was going to explode.

"Nico, seriously, back me up here. Water powers are awesome, right?" He heard Percy's voice against his ear and shivered.

That voice. He loved that voice.

He stared into Will's bright blue eyes, watching him intently. He blushed and looked down to the smirk that was now building on Will's lips.

"No, air powers are way more awesome! Right, Nico?"

Nico's mind was too dazed to build a decent thought. Truth be told, it was full of indecency, really.

Which was horrible. Really horrible.

He turned a dark shade of red and brought his hands to his face to hide it.

"Would you just shut up? This is, like…so _close_ …" He muttered, embarrassed.

There was a chuckle at his ear and he felt Percy snuggling up against him from behind.

At the same time, there was Will snuggling closer from the front, moving up a bit so his mouth was level with Nico's forehead.

"Aw, you like it, Neeks." The blonde claimed.

He wasn't wrong.

Nico muttered something indistinguishable even he didn't know what it meant and still hid his face.

He heard Jason chuckle. "Don't tease him, Solace, I bet you love this ten times more."

"Probably. But as I said, cuddles are healthy." Will replied, shrugging.

Nico however was more concentrating on the way Percy started nuzzling his face into Nico's hair, his arms now protectively pushing Will's in place, since he had begun moving them way too low on Nico's lower back.

Percy had nice, strong arms.

Nico had always wondered what it would be like to wake up in them. Now he guessed he knew.

It felt pretty damn good.

Just that it hurt him on the inside, because he knew Percy didn't think like that.

None of them did.

'We're all guys', they had said. They weren't gay, after all.

And Nico had told Percy he was over him. So yeah, there was no reason for them to think this _wasn't_ okay.

Nico still had his face hidden behind his hands, unwilling to look at how close Will was to him and even more unwilling to show him his flushed face.

His heart was still beating way too fast.

"Dude, relax. It's just us." Percy whispered against the back of his neck.

Nico swallowed. Hard.

He still felt the warmth of their bodies spreading through him.

He had to admit, it did feel good.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax, but right then Will inched closer and placed a kiss on Nico's forehead between his fingers.

Nico squirmed.

"Solace! Stop molesting him!" Percy complained and next moment, Will had Percy's hand in his face, pushing him backwards.

Nico felt himself being pulled over Percy again.

No, not now.

Not with him being like…this. Nico had tried. He really had.

But being between his two friends like that, it wasn't really simple to keep a cool head.

And, well, maybe he did have some…'hard' feelings after all.

But Percy either didn't notice or didn't care, for next moment Nico was between him and Jason, who instantly wrapped his arms around Nico and looked at him reassuringly.

"No fair!" Will complained, but Percy glared at him and wrapped his arms tightly around Nico, putting his face back into his hair.

"No molesting Nico." He said in a low voice and Nico felt his ears getting even hotter. Of course, Percy didn't mean it like that.

But it sure sounded so…protective. Almost jealous.

He loved it. Though he knew he shouldn't.

Jason came closer and chuckled, moving his hands.

"No need to hide your face, Nico. Just enjoy it." He muttered quietly so only Nico could hear.

Somehow, having Jason say it like that did calm him somehow.

He tried to relax, but with Percy so close behind him he wasn't sure whether he really could.

Percy's arms were still around him, his hands around his chest and midriff. How could he not feel Nico's heartbeat? Or did he feel it but didn't mind? Or did he simple not care?

Nico didn't know.

Jason's hands began softly stroking up and down his back, their faces close to each other. Nico looked up at those sky-blue eyes gazing down at him reassuringly.

He noticed how Jason was still wearing his glasses. Tentatively, he took them off and inched closer in order to put them down on the nightstand behind Jason.

Percy moved with him, pressing his chest against Nico's back, his arms tightly wrapped around him.

Jason inched closer, as well, letting go of Nico's back and putting them around Percy now, reducing the space between Nico and him to a minimum.

Nico blushed hard.

He could only pray to all the gods he knew (which were quite a few, thanks to his Mythomagic game and natural curiosity) that Jason didn't get close enough to notice Nico's…problem.

He tried to concentrate hard on cooling himself down.

Percy rubbed against his back and he squeezed his eyes shut, wrapping his arms around Jason and hiding his face at his chest.

Jason was nice and cool, but not in a freezing type of way.

He simply was that way.

He heard a chuckle behind him.

"I swear, this is the nicest cuddle I've ever had." Percy muttered into Nico's hair.

"Mean, I wanted to spoon Nico." Will still complained.

"No." Both Percy and Jason said, tightening their grip on Nico.

Nico didn't know what to make of this whole thing.

His heart was still beating way too fast, but somehow, he began to relax.

This really felt good. Way too good.

He moved his head slightly sideways to look back at Percy, just to find him gazing at him intently, his sea-green eyes ablaze.

Nico flushed once more and turned his head away again, hiding it at Jason's chest.

He could feel both of them getting even closer and closed his eyes.

Which was probably a mistake, because he soon found himself dozing off.

***

When he woke up again in the early evening hours, Percy was still behind him with his arms tightly around him, sound asleep. Jason sat at the side of the bed, grinning at Nico.

"Uh…what time is it?" Nico asked, trying to get up but Percy's grip on him only tightened and he found himself being pressed back against Percy's front.

He flushed but tried to not let anything show. Jason chuckled.

"It's 7pm, Neeks. We've all been asleep for roughly three and a half hours."

"Really?"

"Yup. I guess it was simply too comfortable. The first to wake up was Solace. He left around half an hour ago."

"Was he very upset?"

"Nah, he knew he shouldn't keep crossing the line."

"It's not like you two were any better." Nico scowled and tried to get out of Percy's death grip.

Jason laughed.

"Oh, that's mean, Nico. We took special care that you weren't too uncomfortable. And since you fell asleep first, I don't think we were that bad."

Nico blushed.

Then he started fighting against Percy again.

"Just give up. He won't let you go, I guarantee you that. Will tried to get to you in the middle. Man, you should have heard the growl coming from Percy. Lethal, I'm just saying. He's quite protective, isn't he?"

Nico turned his head slightly, looking back into Percy's sleeping face.

He looked so peaceful. And adorable.

Nico scolded himself and looked to Jason again.

Jason grinned at him and ruffled through his hair.

Nico squirmed.

Percy growled and tightened his grip on him.

Nico's eyes widened, surprised, while Jason laughed loudly.

"This is what I meant. He's been like that ever since he fell asleep right after you."

"He…he did?"

"Yup. Noticed you were sleeping and grinned like an idiot, pushing Solace's hands away and trying to keep you all to himself."

Jason's choice of words made Nico flush a deep shade of red.

But Jason only chuckled and got up.

"Do you want me to stay until he wakes up or should I leave you two to it…?"

"Jason!" Nico complained, fighting against the death grip around him again.

Jason laughed. "Just joking, man."

Nico looked at him exasperated.

Jason winked.

Nico scowled.

They waited together for Percy to finally wake up again, which he actually did just in time for dinner (it seemed Percy had an additional sense for when it was dinner time).

He didn't seem flustered whatsoever to wake up with his nose buried in Nico's hair and his arms wrapped around him as if he was his teddy bear.

Instead, he had only flashed him a broad grin and said: "You really do have a cute sleeping face."

Nico had only scowled at him, though he knew his ears had turned a dark shade of red.

Then they had left for dinner.

So now, here he was, sitting at the Hades table by himself and staring at his plate, wondering what he should have.

Before he could decide, however, he heard some shuffling behind him and the next moment, Jason sat down next to him.

"You okay?" He asked, looking at him worriedly.

Nico shrugged.

"Just thinking about this whole…admirer thing, really…" He muttered, deciding on some simple toast.

Jason looked at him with his usual understanding expression.

"Must be pretty weird to suddenly have somebody who loves you so much just randomly pop up out of nowhere."

Nico nodded. "It certainly feels…different. I keep wondering who it could be, even though I don't really…I don't really want to know…"

Jason sighed. "I think you do want to know. I think you just don't really know what to make of the situation. You've been by yourself for a pretty long time, thinking nobody liked you, when suddenly, there's a person who simply loves you."

Nico nodded. "I still can't believe there'd be a person like that. I mean, seriously, who could love somebody…somebody like me?"

Jason scowled at him. "You really aren't that bad, Nico. I can picture a lot of people would actually like you if you showed them more of yourself."

Nico looked away. Jason sighed and took his chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "You're a great person, Nico. Really. I'm dead serious. I don't know why you always think so lowly of yourself. You've done great things. Yet, instead of wanting glory or bragging to others, you always stick to the background, letting other people be admired for things _you_ did, Nico."

Nico cut off a piece of his toast, getting up to give it to his dad and Hestia as a food offering. Jason followed him, still talking.

"And I mean, look at you. You are one of those few people on this world that can pull of both adorable and sexy."

Nico blushed, hastily looking around if anybody else heard them, but luckily, everyone seemed too busy eating.

"You have both looks and personality. Seriously, I wonder what you see when you look in the mirror, because it can't be what I see. You are caring and emotional, Nico. You tell me I'm always considerate of everybody, but I'm selfish compared to you. You always put everybody else before you and you'd always come to the aid of whatever person requires it."

He pushed his food into the fire, trying to hide how flustered he was. Seriously, Jason was over exaggerating.

He did help a bit with the wars and such, but that didn't turn him into that type of awesome person Jason made him sound like.

He was just Nico, after all. All he had done was trying to keep Percy alive and keeping his promise to Percy.

He turned around, just to almost walk into Percy, who shot him a smile before stepping aside.

"You can fight better than me, even better than Percy and you can control your powers better than anybody I have ever met." Jason continued, completely ignoring Percy, who frowned and looked around at the sound of his name.

Nico hurried off back to his table and flopped down. Jason sat down next to him, telling him on and on how amazing he seemingly was.

"Jason…it's really not like that…" He muttered, but the blonde didn't stop.

Then, to his horror, Percy sat down on the other side of him.

"Jason's right, Nico. I remember clearly how you persuaded your dad to help us in the battle against Kronos. If it hadn't been for you, I don't think we would have made it. Plus, you were the one getting me to do the thing with the Styx, weren't you? Without you, I would have been dead a hundred times already." He instantly chimed in.

Nico blushed. "I…I only did that because…"

"Because you are awesome." Will said, sitting down opposite him.

Nico looked exasperated at the three of them. "I…really…you make me sound so great and all, but I'm really not like that. I know I convinced my dad and I know I helped with some pretty cool stuff and such, but anybody would have done that."

There was silence for a moment.

"I mean, I really don't want to sound rude or call you liars or something, but I'm just…I'm just Nico. Most of the time, I didn't even know what I was doing, and the rest of the time, I was trying to save Percy from certain death."

Percy wanted to say something, but Nico stopped him.

"No, I'm dead serious. I hated you, but at the same time, I…kind of didn't hate you. During the fight against Kronos, I panicked, so I wouldn't let the topic drop until my dad decided to just give in and go along with it – which surprisingly turned out awesome."

"Don't miss out on the fact that you joined the fight and fought of hell lots of monsters pretty much _unscathed_ , without needing to bathe in the Styx." Percy added.

Nico waved him off.

"Not to mention you went through Tartarus completely by yourself while looking for the Doors of Death." Will mentioned.

Nico made a frustrated sound.

"Yeah, I mean, that place was horrible. I barely kept my sanity, and that was while I had Annabeth with me. I don't think I could have made it out of there by myself…" Percy muttered and Nico hesitated.

"Nico didn't doubt you for one second." Jason said and Nico blushed.

"Jason." He said, warningly.

But Percy waved him off, anyways.

"I wouldn't have made it. Even with Annabeth, we probably would have died if it hadn't been for Nico telling Bob I'm a good guy."

At the mention of Bob, Nico flinched.

He had liked Bob. He had been a really good friend in the Underworld, somebody he had loved talking to whenever he had had the time.

Thinking about it, he had talked a lot about Percy and the other people at Camp, telling him of all the stories he knew and how he wished he could be friends with them, being accepted there.

"And the way he managed to shadow travel Reyna, Coach Hedge and the Athena Parthenos was damn awesome as well." Will said, changing the topic.

The other two instantly went with it.

Nico sighed, defeated.

"We just want you to know you're actually really cool, Nico. I, for one, am proud to be your friend." Jason said, putting his hand on Nico's shoulder.

Nico sighed. "I just…thanks, guys." He muttered, feeling his ears turning red.

They beamed at him.

Then Clarisse showed up.

"And what are you all doing here? Having a little foursome?"

Nico flushed instantly. But Will only turned his head and mustered Clarisse from head to toe.

"Yeah, I'd ask whether you'd like to join, but we don't do girls. Your boyfriend is invited, though."

Percy and Jason snorted with laughter at Clarisse's dumbstruck face. Even Nico had to laugh, though it was a bit high-pitched.

Will only grinned at him broadly and they jumped up, rushing out of the dining pavilion and shooting off into different directions to escape Clarisse, who ran after them cussing so much that Chiron called her over for a serious talk – which made the four laugh even harder.

***

In the end, they began their usual routine of dropping each other off at their cabins, this time starting at the Apollo cabin.

"Goodnight, Will." Nico said and Will waved, flashing him a last dashing smile.

The other two grinned and waved as well.

The next one to be dropped off was Jason.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow." He said to Nico, and Percy coughed.

"And you too, of course, Seaweed Brain." Jason added, looking over at Percy with a sigh.

Percy scowled. "Don't even go there, Sparky."

Nico chuckled. "Yeah, see you tomorrow. Don't let that statue of your dad freak you out too much."

Jason laughed. "Nah, it's not that bad anymore. But I got to show you that hidden passage at some point."

"We could go check it out tomorrow." Percy put in.

Jason looked exasperated. "Maybe I wanted to show it to Nico _alone_?" He pointed out.

Nico's ears turned red.

Percy looked dumfounded for a moment. Then he made a face.

Jason chuckled. "Just joking. Sure, we can go up there tomorrow. But I don't know how it's going to be, what with all the snow around."

"We could also go ice skating." Percy said enthusiastically.

"Eww…I can't ice skate for the life of me…" Jason muttered and held up his hands.

Percy looked crestfallen and turned to Nico, who only kicked at imaginary dirt, avoiding his gaze.

"Nico? Please tell me you at least like ice skating…"

Damn him and his baby-seal-eyes.

Nico shrugged.

"I…I never really tried…" He admitted, playing with a strand of hair.

Jason groaned defeated.

"I can show you! It's really simple!"

"Or we simply spend the day in one of our cabins watching film or playing games." Jason suggested hopefully.

Nico chuckled.

"We can decide on that tomorrow. Let's first get to bed."

Both boys looked around at him, grinning. He grinned back.

Then Jason waved and walked into his cabin.

"Goodnight, you two." He called and closed the door behind him.

Nico looked to Percy and their eyes met.

"So…only the two of us left, huh?" Percy awkwardly pointed out and they began walking.

Nico instinctively walked towards Percy's cabin, but Percy seemed to have other plans, since he walked into the direction of Nico's cabin. Nico blinked and went with it.

"Please don't tell me you're going to show up at 3 am again." He muttered and glanced at Percy's dark silhouette.

When had it become so dark? Then again, it was winter. Of course it was getting really dark really fast these days.

Nico didn't like the dark that much.

Though it really wasn't an excuse to get closer to Percy (which he certainly was).

Percy looked around at him. They were walking quite close next to each other now.

"Nah, unless you want me to, of course. Do you really not want to know who gives you all this stuff?" He asked, gesturing to Nico's earrings.

"I…I don't know."

"What are you worried about? That the guy will be a creep?"

"No. Not really. It's just…I can't picture anybody doing that for me. It's really sweet and all, but I can't help but wonder what that person thinks of me. How they think of me. What if they picture me completely different from how I am? What if they go through all of this, just to then notice I'm not really that great, after all?"

Percy stared at him. "That's what you're worried about? That the guy will be disappointed? Seriously?" He asked, unbelieving.

Nico fidgeted. They had arrived at his door.

Percy hesitated, then he put his hand on Nico's shoulder.

"Nico…I don't think you could disappoint anybody. No matter how amazing that person thinks you are, I bet it's not even close to how amazing you truly are."

Nico blushed.

"And, seriously, _that's_ what you're worried about? I can't believe it. Anybody else would be creeped out, thinking of stalkers or wondering who it was 24/7, worrying that they'll be disappointed when they find out."

Nico sighed. "I try not to think about who it is, because I don't know that many people and I know the ones I know aren't… _you know_ …"

Percy looked at him quietly for a moment.

Then he sighed and put his hand on Nico's chin, pushing his face slightly upwards so he could look into his eyes properly.

"There is nothing wrong whatsoever with being gay, Nico. And also, sexual preferences can change, you know. For all you know, it could be one of your friends. Not many people know you get along with Mrs. O'Leary after all."

Nico stared into those beautiful sea-green eyes, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

"I…" He had no idea what to say.

He pulled back, away from Percy's touch and put his hand on the door.

"Erm…thanks, Percy. I…I suppose we'll see each other tomorrow, then."

Percy nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I so hope the weather is good enough for ice skating. Can't wait to show off to Jason that I'm better than him."

Nico found himself chuckling, though everything inside him still was fuzzy and weird.

"You're horrible." He scolded jokingly.

Percy grinned at him broadly.

"Goodnight, Nico. Let's see what that admirer of yours thinks of next."

Nico looked away. "Well…we'll see…night, Percy."

Percy patted him on the shoulder and walked backwards.

Nico had to chuckle at how stupid it looked. As if Percy didn't want to be the first to break eye contact.

His heart thumped loudly at the thought and he hastily turned away, opening his door.

As he closed it, he looked over to Percy again, who still walked backwards, waving and smiling at him.

Nico closed the door, flustered. He didn't dare look out the window.

Instead, he walked over to his bed and flopped facedown onto it.

What a day.

He noticed the Mrs. O'Leary plushie lying next to him and grabbed it, holding it close.

As he couldn't be bothered getting up again, he started taking off his clothes, deciding to simply sleep in boxer shorts tonight as he crawled beneath his blanket, pressing the plushie against his chest.

Whoever the person was that gave this to him, it had to be a really nice, caring type of person.

Just for that, Nico decided that whoever it would be, he'd give them a chance.

And thus, he fell asleep, a stupid grin on his face, Mrs. O'Leary Jr. tightly wrapped in his arms.


	5. Day 4: 4th of December

**Day 4: Thursday, 4th of December**

The next day, Nico was sick.

He couldn't even muster the strength to really get up, just dragging himself into the bathroom when he really had to go, just to then go back to bed, hiding beneath his blanket.

He was feeling hot and cold, his head was pounding and his nose running.

Not to mention the cough he had developed in the past two hours ever since he had woken up at 5am.

He wouldn't be surprised if he was running a fever.

He held Mrs. O'Leary Jr. tightly pressed against his chest and wished the plushie could give him as much warmth as Percy and Jason had done yesterday.

Not to mention Will.

He groaned and turned around, just to look at his bedside table. On it laid a square red package with green bow on it, a small note on top.

He wished he could at least get himself together to check it out.

As it was, he only coughed as he tried to move and pulled the blanket higher, wondering how he deserved to be ill like this.

He had worn a sweater, the Camp Half-blood jacket AND his aviator's jacket.

The others hadn't worn as much as he had (especially not Will).

They had also taken him into the middle, warming him.

Why was _he_ sick?

Then he wondered whether the others could be ill too.

There came a knock on the door.

It was 7am in the morning, why the hell did people wake up so early and came to visit him?

Not that he was complaining, really, he'd like some company right about now.

Sadly he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to haul himself to the door to open it.

He cleared his throat.

Eww, mucus.

"There's a key under the pot on the right side."

Damn, even his voice was horrible.

There was rustling outside and he heard the sound of somebody fumbling with the keyhole.

Great, at least he had been heard.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, closing the door behind him and hurrying over.

"No. I feel like sh-…I'm fine." Nico muttered and stared up at the ceiling.

"Don't tell me you caught a cold."

Nico only shrugged.

Percy sighed and sat down at the side of his bed, tentatively putting his hand on Nico's forehead.

He immediately pulled it back.

"Dude, you're burning!" He said, shocked and looked down at Nico.

"Guess I do have a fever then…" Nico murmured and pulled his plushie closer.

Percy stared at him exasperated. "That's not funny. You are seriously hot."

Nico turned his head to him. "I'm a child of Hades, Percy. If anything, I'm cool."

Against his will, Percy had to chuckle.

Then he turned serious again.

"Should I get Will? Do you need anything?"

Nico coughed, then yawned.

"Other than cough medicine, something against the fever and some sleep, I think I'm good."

Percy facepalmed. "Nico~!"

Nico groaned and turned sideways. "Do you have to be so loud?" He complained, pulling the blanket over him.

Percy winced.

"Sorry…" He whispered and leaned over him, pulling the blanket down a bit and stroking some strands of hair out of his face.

"But seriously, should I get Will?"

"What for? It's not like I'm on my deathbed."

"But you're seriously burning, Nico. What if it's something serious?"

"Percy, I only got a cold."

When he looked around, Percy did his baby-seal-eyes-thing again.

How did Annabeth ever say no to this guy?

How could she have ever left him, anyways?

Nico sighed and looked away, his gaze stopping at the gift.

Percy seemed to notice. "You didn't open it yet?"

"Obviously not." Nico deadpanned.

Percy threw him his best 'Really?'-look and took the package with the note.

Nico's eyes followed him. "Want me to read it to you?" Percy offered, making Nico blink.

"Oh come on, don't look at me like that. I'll do it. For you, that is."

Nico felt his already flushed face burn.

Great.

He coughed again.

Percy cleared his throat and began reading out loud, which took a while due to his dyslexia.

 

[Dear Nico,

I love the way you laugh.

It is rare to see you show your emotions so freely, which makes it all the more special when you do.

I hope you liked the plushie.

When I first saw it, it reminded me so much of Mrs. O'Leary that I simply had to get it for you. I know you really like her, after all.

I wish I could cuddle up to you the way you cuddle up to that plushie.

But I don't think you'd approve of that, so all I can hope for is that you might give us a chance when I come out to you on the 25th.

I hope you like today's gift.

Have a nice 4th day of December, my Ghost King.

I love you,

Your secret Admirer

P.s.: Your blanket was at the end of the bed when I got here. I tucked you in and hope you won't catch a cold, but you might want to not sleep in your underwear anymore. Though the view was great ;) ]

 

Nico blushed and hid beneath the blanket, but Percy pulled it aside.

"Really?! Nico! Why aren't you wearing at least your pyjama pants? No wonder you caught a cold!"

Nico whined and curled into a ball, shocked at being exposed to the coldness in his cabin. Percy dropped the blanket back on him.

"Gods, you're _unbelievable_."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Percy chuckled.

"I love the smiley at the end. It's like 'Hey, you really shouldn't do that, but thanks for doing it, anyways.'." He said and held up the card.

Nico was still flustered. "I didn't do it for _him_. I just couldn't be bothered getting up to grab them."

Percy threw him a meaningful glance. "Of course not."

Nico blushed. "I don't even know who it is!" He exclaimed but then started coughing again, badly.

Percy leaned over, helping him into a sitting position and patting his back softly.

"Just joking, man. But seriously, I think I'm gonna get Will. Even if you're not on your deathbed, I bet he can still help you. Also, I don't like the way that cough sounds."

Nico rolled his eyes and leaned against Percy slightly.

Somehow, compared to his own body temperature, Percy seemed surprisingly cool.

He sighed and dropped his face onto Percy's shoulder.

"There's no need to get Will, let him sleep. I'll be fine again in no time."

Percy snorted and moved closer. "Yeah and I am a pink party pony from Mars."

Nico chuckled at the thought and tried to lift his head, but immediately dropped it back onto Percy's shoulder.

Everything swirled.

"I feel dizzy." He muttered quietly and Percy stroke his back slightly, which also felt pretty good.

"Told you, you aren't fine. Want me to get Will?"

"Nah."

"Nico. How hardheaded can you be?"

"Do you really want to find out?"

"Hey, I like this. When you're sick, you actually turn out to be quite sassy."

"Shush."

"Do you really want me to?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe it."

Nico tried to lift his head, but the dizziness came back so he only sighed and felt how Percy began pushing him back into the pillow.

"I'm going to get Solace now and nothing you say will stop me." He said determined and pulled back.

Nico found himself tugging on his shirt.

"Stay…please…" He muttered quietly.

Inwardly, he couldn't believe he had just said that.

But in his dazed state he must have talked without using his brain first.

Percy hesitated. "Why?" He asked, frowning.

Nico fidgeted. "I…because…" He began coughing again, turning away.

He felt Percy getting off the bed.

"Don't leave me alone…" He whispered, his voice barely audible.

Percy froze.

"Please…" Nico almost pleaded, turning his head to look at Percy.

He knew he must look pathetic. He felt pathetic, to say the least.

Percy stared at him quietly for a moment.

Nico shivered, suddenly feeling cold again, and he pulled the blanket up to his nose.

Percy sighed defeated and flopped back down on the bed.

"You are unbelievable, Nico." He muttered and before Nico could even think of a reply, Percy was beneath the blanket and had his arms wrapped around Nico.

"What…"

"Shush. You wanted me to stay, right?"

Nico blushed. "But…this…"

"If I'm already staying, I might as well make sure you aren't going to be cold. Do you have any idea how cold your cabin is?" Percy interrupted him and Nico could feel his arms tightly wrapped around him, pulling him back against Percy's warm chest. This was so much like yesterday, when they had cuddled.

His heart was thumping loudly in his chest. Then he felt Percy's face in his hair.

"You look pretty cool with a ponytail, but for cuddling, open hair is way better." He remarked and Nico was glad he couldn't see his face.

Seriously, this guy.

"Oh, I almost forgot…" Percy suddenly muttered and Nico felt him moving, pulling his arm out from beneath Nico and distancing himself slightly.

Nico moved his head slightly to see what he was doing. Next moment, Percy held out the red package with the green ribbon to him.

"Want to open it?"

Nico looked at it, then up at Percy.

Then he nodded and turned around, pushing down the urge to cough again.

As he pulled the ribbon off, he felt how soft the package was.

Clothes?

He opened it carefully.

"Aww, how considerate." Percy laughed and took the content out.

It was a scarf.

Nico blinked, looking at the gray scarf with black skulls on it.

Then he laughed.

Which didn't go well with neither his headache or his cough.

He winced, coughing and holding his head.

Percy chuckled at his dismay and patted his back, holding the scarf up to look at it.

"Actually, I kinda like it." He muttered.

Nico glared at him. "It's mine."

"Oh, so you like it?"

"Well, it certainly fits my style."

"But do you like it?"

Nico sighed and fidgeted.

"I…yes." He admitted and Percy grinned.

"Good, then it can be put to use immediately." And thus, he wrapped the scarf around Nico's neck, ignoring his protest.

Then, he wrapped his arms tightly around Nico and pulled him close, pressing Nico's face against his chest.

Nico blushed but let him do it, tentatively putting his arms around the taller boy.

Percy looked down and smiled at him reassuringly.

Somehow, Nico was reminded of how Jason would usually look at him like that.

It seemed that Percy also had that rare ability of calming him down when he really needed it.

It was…surprising.

Nico hid his face in Percy's chest, pushing down another oncoming cough and sighing.

Percy pulled him closer, stroking over his back gently.

"You really shouldn't be sleeping in your boxer shorts alone, though." Percy muttered into his hair.

Nico sighed. "I'm not. You're here with me after all."

Percy chuckled. "I really like that sass."

Nico snuggled against his chest. "I hate being sick."

"I bet. You actually show your emotions when you are."

"Oh, shush."

"Nah."

***

An hour later, Jason and Will appeared, as well.

Though initially surprised to find a disheveled Percy opening Nico's door with Nico still lying in bed (also still half naked), they understood quickly and went to aid Nico.

Which resulted in Will singing for him while the other two hurried off to get some breakfast for him.

"I'm fine." Nico repeated for the hundredth time.

But Will ignored him and began another song in Ancient Greek.

If Nico understood correctly, Will was pretty much singing to his father.

He did admit he was feeling a lot better already, though Will told him he wouldn't be miraculously healed or anything. It would just get rid of most of his headache and help getting rid of the cold, though Nico's body would have to do the rest itself.

Nico didn't mind.

In his opinion, he'd have been fine without Will as well.

It wasn't that he didn't like the worrying. He actually really appreciated that his friends cared about him.

He just found it unnecessary.

He only had a minor cold. Nothing to really worry about like that.

He listened to Will's singing.

He had a really nice voice.

Since he was a son of Apollo, that wasn't really a surprise, though.

Will grinned down at him.

"And from now on, no more showing off to mysterious admirers. It's obviously not healthy."

Nico scowled. "I wasn't!"

Will laughed, ruffling through his hair and touching the scarf tentatively.

"That's pretty good quality. At least it's not some synthetic rubbish. Somebody either got a lucky guess or really cares about you, Neeks."

Nico blushed and looked away.

"I got to admit, I'm jealous."

Nico blinked.

What?

"I mean, you squirm away when I get closer to you, but when Jason and Percy snuggle up to you, you promptly fall asleep."

Nico made a face. But before he could say anything, Will went on.

"And then, instead of getting me, a son of Apollo, a healer to boot, to help you when you're sick, you snuggle up to Percy – again." He complained, looking genuinely upset.

Nico bit his lip.

"It's not like that…" He muttered, but Will crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Then what is it like?"

"You…they don't try to…" He sat up, searching for words.

"We're back!" Jason announced as he opened the door, closely followed by Percy, who was carrying an overfilled napkin of food.

Will threw Nico a last rather hurt glance and then went to the others.

Nico sighed exasperated.

Percy looked over at him questioning for a moment, but Nico only rolled his eyes and flopped backwards down into his pillow again.

Will inspected the food.

"Well, I guess it will pass. No sweets for him though. Doctor's orders."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You aren't even a doctor."

"I'm a healer. Same difference. Be happy I don't make him eat nothing but soup all day." He said pointedly and stomped out the door.

Nico groaned. "Will…"

Percy frowned. "Is it just me or does he seem pissed off? Did something happen?"

Nico pulled the pillow out from beneath him and pushed it onto his face.

Great.

Now Will was mad at him.

For squirming away when he kissed his forehead.

For falling asleep snuggled against Percy and Jason, instead of him.

For wanting to let him sleep rather than wake him for something stupid like a cold.

Blah.

Jason and Percy sat down at the side of his bed.

"What happened?" Percy asked.

"Is he upset because you didn't get him sooner?" Jason guessed.

Nico held a thumb up.

"Well, I _did_ offer you to get him." Percy chided and Nico lifted the pillow to glare at him.

He held up his hands defensively.

Nico rolled his eyes.

"I know. But seriously, it's just a cold. I didn't want you to wake him for something so…trivial."

Percy and Jason exchanged a quick glance. "Nico, I think he would have actually really liked to be woken up for something so 'trivial', as you put it. He _has_ been trying to get closer to you, you know? I know he's a bit pushy and all and he simply never knows when he's crossing the line, but all he wants is to be friends with you." Jason explained quietly.

Percy stared off into space, not nodding his approval but also not disagreeing.

Nico sighed.

"I suppose so…" He muttered and turned away from them, instinctively grabbing his

Mrs. O'Leary plushie and pulling it close.

"Don't worry, Neeks. He'll come back around in no time." Jason reassured him.

"I don't know…" Nico murmured.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Well, he was pretty hurt about that cuddle-thing yesterday…" He told them quietly.

There was silence for a moment.

"Well, that's because he doesn't know when to stop. I was watching, you know. And he knows you squirm away when people get affectionate on you, so he was simply asking for it." Percy then said, shrugging.

Nico only sighed again.

"I have to agree with Percy on that. You can't just force yourself onto somebody and expect them to be okay with it when you know it's not okay."

Nico sighed again. "It's not like it's such a big deal, really. I simply shouldn't overreact all the time, then this wouldn't have happened in the first place." He said quietly and heard both his friends sighing exasperated.

"So, if I grabbed you and kissed you right now, saying that's what friends do nowadays and then cried about you being shocked, you'd just stop being shocked and go like 'Sure, everything is cool'?" Jason asked and Nico found himself blushing.

"I…what?"

"What Jason is trying to say is that in a friendship, people don't have to be okay with everything, Nico."

"Thanks, Percy."

"No problem, mate."

Nico peeked at the two of them from beneath his pillow.

"Bromance much?" He asked and both looked around at him, eyebrows raised.

"Told you he gets sassy when he's sick." Percy muttered.

Jason chuckled. "I know you did, but who would have thought?"

Nico blushed and hid beneath his pillow again.

"Aww, no need to get flustered now." Jason said and next moment, Nico felt both guys crawling onto the bed.

Before he could say anything, Percy had his pillow and Jason had his blanket.

"What the…no…" Nico wailed as both guys threw themselves onto him, tickling him.

He squirmed and tried to get away, but Percy held him and he couldn't help but laugh, though he still tried to get away.

"And I always thought you weren't ticklish." Percy chuckled and pulled him half onto his lap as Jason continued tickling him.

Nico started having tears in his eyes. "S-Stop, you…"

"Never." both replied and laughed at his dismay.

"You were supposed to give him food, not mishandle him." Came a sour voice from the door, and they looked around.

Will stood there, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Nico looked back to Jason and Percy.

 _Great_.

This had to look _really_ awesome to Will.

Nico, in Percy's arms, with Jason between his legs, his arms at his sides, tickling him.

Terrific.

He fought himself out of their grips and got up.

"We didn't mishandle him. We made him laugh. That's supposed to be good for one's health, right?" Percy asked, playing dumb and grinning.

"I do feel mishandled, though." Nico muttered pointedly and wanted to walk over to his closet.

He was stopped by a wave of dizziness washing over him, momentarily making him stagger.

It was Will who caught him.

"I bet you do. Stay in bed. Doctor's orders. And you two, out of his bed."

"Bossy." Percy muttered, but got out of the bed, anyways.

Jason only grinned and hopped off the bed, putting pillow and blanket back onto it.

"I'm fine, really." Nico murmured, but Will ignored him, pushing him back down onto the bed and wrapping the blanket around him.

"Jason, get him some clothes, please. Percy, pass the food."

"Yes, sir." Jason mocked him, but went to the closet nevertheless, still grinning broadly.

Percy rolled his eyes, but also grinned, passing him the overfilled napkin.

Nico only blinked. This reminded him way too much of his times helping out at the infirmary with Will.

Just that, this time, _he_ seemed to be the patient.

Jason passed him the clothes and stepped back.

"We'll give you two some alone-time, alright?" He said and Nico's eyes widened, but Will only nodded.

"Okay. See you in a bit."

Nico looked towards Percy, but he only winked at him, and a moment later, they were gone.

Will sighed and passed Nico the clothes one by one.

"Will…I wanted to say I'm so-…" He started, putting them on.

"It's okay."

"But…"

"I overheard you talking, you know."

Nico made a face.

"Oh…you did…" He muttered and Will nodded.

"Yup. As soon as I left I was thinking 'Wait, this is stupid. He's a patient, I can't just run off like that', but when I wanted to open the door again, I heard you three talking."

Nico didn't know what to say.

"They are right, you know. I shouldn't have pushed myself onto you like that. I do know you like it, but I also know you can't handle it."

"Hey." Nico complained, but then he got a piece of dry toast stuffed into his mouth.

"Shush. You know I'm right. So, anyways, I shouldn't have been too surprised at your squirming. I AM still upset about you not coming to me for help, however. Even if it's something really, really stupid, I'd be glad to help, you know. You can seriously wake me whenever you want for whatever you want, even if it's just your foot falling asleep or you simply not wanting to be alone."

Nico still chewed on his piece of toast.

"I mean, we're friends, right? I want to be there for you, Neeks. And, _seriously_ , you said you're over Percy."

Nico choked as he was about to swallow, resulting in a coughing fit.

Will patted him on the back quietly.

"I…what? What does that have to do with anything?" He asked, noticing himself how he had not exactly agreed nor disagreed with what Will had said.

Will raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently nothing." He then said shrugging and pushed another piece of toast into Nico's mouth.

Though Nico distinctly noticed how Will seemed to relax, and a moment later, the blonde even grinned at him.

Nico sulked. "I can eat alone, you know."

"I know you can. Doesn't mean I'll let you."

"Why not?"

"Let me take care of you, Neeks. Doctor's orders."

Nico scowled and crossed his arms in front of his chest, but still let Will do it.

It felt weird, being fussed over like this.

But not exactly bad weird.

***

The rest of the day, they spent hanging out at Nico's cabin again, mostly chatting and arguing.

By evening, Nico felt as if he was completely healthy again, though Will only laughed and said they'd see in the morning.

All in all, it had been pretty fun, though Percy was a tad upset when he realized they wouldn't go ice skating, after all.

Thus, Nico had promised him to definitely go ice skating with him as long as there was snow - which led to Jason and Will complaining that Nico didn't promise _them_ anything, so he had to swear to both he would spend a day solely with each of them, which seemed to please them just fine.

He only hoped they didn't all choose the same day for their quality time with him.

In the end, there'd be another argument with him having to decide whom to spend the first day with.

At that thought, he rolled his eyes, picking at his dry toast.

Why was he only getting dry toast, anyways?

He looked to the others eating all this really nice stuff like fries, blue pizza (guess who had that), chicken and even the grapes Will was eating looked far better than Nico's dry toast.

He pouted.

Percy seemed to notice, since he held up his slice of pizza with a questioning look.

Nico glanced at Will, who was currently telling Jason about the Apollo chariot and how long it had taken for him to actually get it fixed.

He shrugged and Percy grinned, coming over and holding out the pizza to him.

"Are you sure this stuff is edible?" Nico whispered anxiously as he looked at the blue pizza.

It looked kind of…gross, really.

Percy grinned. "Just try it. It tastes really good."

Nico took a bite tentatively.

Surprisingly enough, it actually tasted quite good.

"Nico! I saw that!" Will called and glared at him.

Nico winced and grabbed the pizza, devouring it in two big bites before Will could do anything.

Percy stared at him surprised, then at his hand that had just held the pizza.

Then he laughed loudly.

"Gods, Nico, you're unbelievable!" Both Percy and Will exclaimed at the same time, though while Percy sounded impressed, Will sounded upset, scowling at him while shaking his head in disbelief.

Nico looked sheepishly at them both. "I was hungry. Dry toast is horrible. I dare either of you to live off that for one day."

"You had an apple for lunch." Will commented, but Nico shrugged.

"I still dare you to."

Jason only shook his head, smirking. "Want some of my fries?"

"Jason! Don't you dare!" Will threatened, but Nico had already perked up.

He _liked_ fries.

"Nico. No." Will ordered and looked at Nico sternly, who let his shoulders sag and pushed his bottom lip out.

It had been a while since he had used his puppy face, and he wasn't sure whether he could even still pull it off, but he did know he used to be pretty good at it as a kid (well, more of a kid than he was now, he guessed).

Percy covered his mouth as he started snickering, and Will blinked.

"No." He said again, but Nico could feel his determination wavering.

Nico lowered his head slightly, looking up at Will ruefully.

"Aww, come on, just some fries…" Jason muttered, holding out his fries.

Will looked sideways at it.

Then looked back at Nico.

Nico gave a low, defeated sigh.

"Ugh, _fine_!" Will said, grabbing the food from Jason and pushing it towards Nico.

Percy practically exploded with laughter.

"Gods, Nico, you're the best!" He cheered, holding his stomach as he laughed, while Will looked rather sourly towards him.

Jason grinned broadly and gave him a thumbs-up.

Nico winked and grabbed his fries.

As he ate, he noticed Will looking over to him.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Then Will's lips quirked up.

Nico grinned.

At least he wasn't mad at him anymore.


	6. Day 5: 5th of December

**Day 5: Friday, 5th of December**

The next day, Nico was already feeling a lot better. He just wished he could have let his friends know, because they kind of showed up at 6:30 am in the freaking morning to check on him.

All three of them.

Sometimes Nico wondered how he could ever have lived without these three idiots.

Seriously, the amount of time he spent with them only seemed to increase by the day.

Back when they had just beaten Gaea, he had spent a few days in the infirmary with Will, then spent a day or two with Jason before he had to leave for Camp Jupiter, then sat down and tried to chat a bit with Percy (really, REALLY awkward).

Then Jason had been gone and he had spent some more time every now and then with Percy or Will, until Jason had popped up again and they had hung out together or finally in a group of three, though one could clearly tell they didn't really like one another much.

Percy and Jason had been something like pals during their stay on the Argo II., but somehow after the war they had developed this huge 'I am better than you'-behavior (not that they hadn't had that before already).

Percy and Will couldn't care less about each other, truth be told.

And Jason and Will hadn't gotten along that well because Will had still been peeved about his chariot coming back in pieces and because he simply didn't like Jason for whatever reasons.

Nico was pleased to see that, by now, they got along better.

He sat on his bed, holding a mug of tea he had gotten from Will, with the scarf wrapped around his neck by Jason and watched as Percy held up a forkful of scrambled eggs in front of his face, moving it around as if he was trying to hypnotize him.

"I'm fine, you know." He muttered, still watching the fork warily.

He wondered how long it would take for Percy to lose focus and drop the egg onto Nico's bed.

"Aw, come on, Neeks. Just let me feed you already." Percy wailed and Nico sighed exasperated, though he opened his mouth nevertheless.

As he pushed the fork into Nico's mouth, Percy made stupid sounds that made Nico wonder whether he was going to do this to his children someday as well.

Probably. No, _definitely_.

Nico rolled his eyes and simply went with it.

Jason stood behind Percy, chuckling quietly at the scene and winking at Nico, which Nico decided to pointedly ignore.

He glanced over to Will, who was holding up the card of the day, inspecting it.

His admirer had left him another package.

It was quite deformed to say the least. From the shape and feel of it, Nico had to guess it was a book with something else on top, but he wasn't sure.

He hadn't opened it yet, because his friends had made such a big fuss about his health still.

Seriously, he was completely fine.

His headache was mostly gone, he could move around without feeling dizzy anymore, his nose was still a bit runny, but his throat was mostly fine again as well.

He had taken a look at the note, however.

Somehow, he looked forward to the notes almost more than to the actual gifts.

They made him feel so…special.

It also gave him a bit of an insight to the person behind it.

Not much though – he still had no idea who it could be, of course.

Not that he _really_ tried to find out.

But, still, the first thing he had done after letting his friends in was checking out the note.

 

[Dear Nico,

I love the way you fidget when you're nervous or embarrassed.

You are so adorable, Nico. But at the same time, you can be so maddeningly sexy.

Every morning when I see you sleeping so peacefully, I have the strongest urge to kiss you and snuggle up to you in bed and forget about the world around us.

Would you like that? I mean, in case you give us a chance, of course.

I hope you're feeling better today. You had me worried there. Even if it was just a cold, please take better care of yourself in the future.

I also hope you liked the scarf. I was really worried it might not be to your taste.

It really suits you, though.

Hopefully, you'll also like today's gift.

It is a bit different from the others, but I thought it would be nice if you had something like that as well.

Have a nice 5th day of December, Nico.

I love you so much,

Your secret Admirer

P.s.: I wish I could kiss you.]

 

Well, at least Nico now knew that his mysterious admirer hadn't prepared the notes in advance, after all.

Which made him wonder who would seriously sit down each evening or morning and go through the trouble of writing to him.

It seemed so crazy, yet also so sweet.

He loved it, yet he wondered who would actually _do_ something like that.

Especially for him.

But he didn't voice out those thoughts.

Will turned the card around for the hundredth time, looking for any type of indicator to whom it was from.

But the back of the card was as blank as the others.

Nico took another forkful of scrambled eggs from Percy and eyed the package again.

He _so_ wanted to open it. But at the same time, he didn't want his friends thinking he was overly enthusiastic about this whole matter.

He knew they knew he was curious and all, but they had no idea how badly his heart was thumping loudly in his chest, his fingertips _itching_ to get to that package and look inside.

Damn.

His fatal flaw must be impatience or something. At this rate, he was going to _die_ from curiosity and anticipation.

He didn't really care what the admirer gave him. It was the fact that he gave him anything at all that made it so special.

And how he always wrapped the things up so nicely.

Nico could have never done it.

He sighed and Percy followed his gaze to the package.

A grin appeared on his face. "You want to open it?"

Nico felt his ears getting hot and looked away.

"I…don't care…" He muttered, trying to act casual.

The three grinned at him broadly.

Then Jason picked up the package. "Yes, you do. You've been itching to open it ever since we got here. No need to be embarrassed about that, Neeks. I bet we're even more curious than you are to find out what's inside."

Nico made a face and took the package from Jason.

All three watched intently as he made a show of first looking at the package from all sides before agonizingly slowly removing the pretty green ribbon and opening the red wrapping paper carefully without tearing it.

"Oh gods, Nico, get it over with, I'm bursting with curiosity right now!" Percy complained and Nico chuckled, removing the wrapping.

" _Sweet_!" exclaimed Will.

"That is a great idea!" Jason said, grinning from one ear to the other.

"Gods, you gotta try that thing out right away!" Percy insisted enthusiastically.

Nico held up the gift of the day: His very own camera and a photo album, waiting to be filled.

He had always wanted a camera, though why he had never gotten himself one, he didn't know.

He was surprised, to say the least.

Thinking of it, he had never really told anybody he wanted a camera.

Bianca had known, of course, but he highly doubted she had anything to do with this.

A lucky guess, maybe?

Or maybe the person simply had noticed how Nico didn't have any pictures of anybody or anything around in his cabin.

Anyways, it was awesome.

"Sure, how about some pictures, then?" He said with a wide grin and they started their very own photo session at 7am in the morning.

***

Hours later, they wondered vaguely how they were ever going to get through the thousands of pictures they had taken.

They had gone all the way from portraits of everyone by themselves to pairs, to groups of three, even tried a few pictures with all of them on it (Jason's air powers helped with that, though most of them were blurry).

Then the boys had argued about who got to take most pictures of Nico and who got to _be_ on most pictures _with_ Nico.

Needless to say, it had been a quite tiresome morning.

"Good thing that camera comes with SD-card." Will said, inspecting it as they walked across the snowy Camp grounds.

Then he turned around and shot another picture of Nico.

Nico rolled his eyes, taking the camera from the blonde.

"Aww, come on, you look so cute with that scarf and the jacket and those earrings…not to mention the hat…"

Yeah, Jason had made him wear one of those beanie hats. Very funny.

'But me no buts! You're still not back to perfect health, so you gotta wear this!', he had said, with the other two traitors agreeing with him loudly, urging Nico to wear it.

Great.

Nico probably looked like a real idiot.

"I'm surprised that thing can hold so many pictures though…" Nico muttered, looking at the camera in his hands.

The others chuckled.

"At this rate it will be full in no time. We really got to get them sorted out. Off to Leo, then?" Jason asked and looked at them.

They shrugged.

"Sure, he's the only one with a laptop after all. Next to Annabeth, that is." Percy said, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"It really sucks. We should get you a laptop too, Neeks." Will said, putting his arm around Nico.

"Nah, I don't really need one. Also, I could just go to the Underworld. Dad said he 'upgraded' my room. I'm really worried how it'll look now. Didn't get a chance to visit lately, after all."

"And you won't be visiting anytime soon. You know what I've said about underworld-ly stuff."

"But Will, it's been _months_ since that time. I'm completely fine. At this rate, I'll be worse than Percy at controlling my powers."

"Excuse me, I'm awesome!" Percy complained indignantly and Jason and Will laughed.

"Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean. Why am I still not allowed to use my powers?"

"Because it's Doctor's orders. You were _so_ close to fading, I will not have it." Will said, holding up his hand with his fingertips almost touching to emphasize what he meant.

Nico scowled.

Percy and Jason exchanged glances and looked at him worriedly.

"Hey, Will, what if he slowly starts training again?" Jason asked.

Will glared at them both. "No."

"Why not? It's not like you can keep him from using his powers forever. At this rate, it will all just build up and one day he'll go _boom_!" Percy dramatically threw his arms around.

Will sighed.

"After Christmas, we can talk about it. But not before then." He then said, not looking at any of them.

Nico rolled his eyes.

Will noticed and pulled him tighter.

"Don't do that, Neeks. You know I'm just worried about you."

Nico didn't say anything.

Maybe Will was just worried about him.

Or maybe he was creeped out by Nico's powers.

The thought hurt him, somehow, so he pushed it out of his mind.

Instead, he lifted up his camera once more and took a picture of the frozen Camp grounds in front of them.

They found Leo in Bunker 9 with Calypso in a spacious room full of…stars?

Supposedly, they had found it like that with all the stars and constellations and planets, though unfinished.

Leo, who couldn't take it to see things unfinished, had thus taken it upon himself to complete it together with Calypso.

They gave them Leo's laptop without hesitation, not even asking where Nico had gotten the camera from or anything.

"And over here is a printer and next to it all sorts of paper in case you want to print anything." Leo pointed across the small room they now stood in.

Will instantly went to examine it, Calypso following to explain the different options and what not.

Percy seemed rather nervous, though he always was around Calypso.

Nico guessed he still felt bad for not checking whether she had been able to get off her island after demanding it from the gods.

Or maybe he still had feelings for her, after all.

He sighed, letting Jason fumble with the SD-card and the laptop and just looking around the room.

Percy was still fidgeting. Then he looked around to Nico and, for a moment, their eyes met.

Nico blinked and looked away, instead looking towards Calypso, who was walking towards Leo and the door now.

As they waved and closed the door behind them, Nico sighed.

"They sure seem happy together." Will said, coming over to join them at the laptop.

"Yeah, I'm really glad." Percy nodded and Nico raised an eyebrow.

Percy noticed and scowled. "Nico, don't look at me like that. I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. I'm really glad she finally got somebody who can return her feelings. That's all."

Nico only held up his arms defensively. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Though inwardly, he was kind of happy.

He looked around to Jason, trying to cover the smile tugging at his lips.

"I think it's working." Jason muttered, opening the camera folder.

"Whoa, we took over 300 pictures in the past hours!" Will exclaimed, shocked and awed at the same time, staring over Jason's shoulder.

Percy chuckled. "Yeah and somebody had their thumb on the lens on at least twenty of them." He said, grinning broadly and pointing at a series of miniature pictures in the overview.

Jason fidgeted. "Actually, I think that was me."

They laughed and Jason began scrolling through the pictures slowly.

After a while, Will took over, starting a slideshow, though they had to stop it every few pictures to delete some or laugh at others.

Most of them were actually quite good.

"Who took these?" asked Will, clicking through several good shots of the cabins.

"I did." Nico replied, surprised at how well they turned out.

Then they clicked back to their group pictures.

"Any you'd like to have printed, Neeks? We could put them in your new photo album."

Jason suggested and Nico looked over Will's shoulder at the screen.

So many pictures.

How could he possibly decide which ones he wanted?

"Erm…"

"Will, shoo and let him sit down, so he can do it himself." Jason ordered and Will instantly jumped up.

"Oops, sorry."

Nico flopped down on the chair, moving the mouse awkwardly. He didn't really know much about laptops and the like.

All in all, he had been surprised at how fast he had gotten the hang of gaming and the like, what with all the different consoles and games and controllers.

But he hadn't actually used a laptop, like…ever, really.

He knew it was fairly simple, just dragging the mouse around clicking things and such, but he already felt the heat rising in his face at the mere thought of embarrassing himself, doing something stupid.

He clicked on a few pictures, just to then not find the X to close them again.

Then he started dragging around the windows on the screen to at least get back to the overview somehow.

Will chuckled.

Jason nudged him in the side.

Percy tapped the screen where the X was wordlessly, not looking at him.

Nico bit his lip and closed the windows, feeling utterly stupid.

"I like that one." Percy muttered, pointing to one of the pictures with Nico and Percy on it.

Nico opened it.

"Yeah, that's nice. How about we print that out and one more with you and each of us, then a group picture and the ones you took of the Camp?" Jason agreed and took over the mouse, much to Nico's relief.

"Sure." He agreed, getting off the chair again.

Will looked ruefully at him.

Nico only shrugged, looking over Jason's shoulder at the screen.

"That one looks good." He muttered, pointing to one of the group pictures of Jason, Percy and Will.

"Really? But you're not on it." Percy complained, but Nico shrugged.

"I don't care. Can we print that, too?"

Jason marked it and moved it to a separate folder to print together with the one with Percy and Nico.

"How about that one?" Will asked, pointing to one with Nico and himself.

"Nah, I like that one here more." Percy chuckled, pointing at another Will+Nico shot beneath the one in question.

"But I look utterly dumb on the picture." Will complained.

Percy threw him a meaningful glance. "Maybe that's why."

They glared at each other. Nico rolled his eyes.

"How about this one?" He asked, pointing to another shot of Will and him, with Will grinning broadly and Nico actually managing half a smile.

"Yeah, that's nice. I'm in for it, as well." Jason agreed.

Percy shrugged.

Will nodded and Jason moved it to the print folder.

They scrolled through the pictures and easily found a Jason+Nico picture, as well as one of Nico on his bed with the Mrs. O'Leary plushie that everybody wanted to get printed, much to Nico's dismay.

He didn't really see a reason in putting pictures of himself alone into his own photo album.

But since they insisted on it, he gave in.

They did print some pictures of Camp Half-Blood as well that Nico had taken.

"The frozen lake looks so pretty, how did you manage to get such a good shot with the sunlight like that?" Percy marveled, pointing at a few trial shots from Nico.

He had really only wanted to see whether the camera was good for shots like that.

It certainly was.

Even Jason and Will found the photos pretty.

"We're printing those as well!" Percy announced determined.

"Percy, those are six pictures of pretty much the same thing."

"I don't care. You can keep one and I get the rest?"

The others laughed – including Nico.

He shrugged and they looked at the now twenty pictures in the Print folder.

"Neeks, want to look at the different types of paper to see what you want? They have think paper, thin paper, smooth paper, real photo paper, paper that feels weird…" Will counted, pulling Nico over to the printer and showing him assortments of paper.

It all kind of was the same to Nico, so he simply picked the first he could reach.

Will seemed happy with that, and they started printing.

***

They spent most of the day running around taking pictures of everybody and everything.

Mostly, Nico took the pictures of objects and places (including the frozen lake once more because Percy insisted on it), while the others took turns in taking pictures of Nico with people.

They even managed to get other Campers to pose for the camera with Nico.

Most of them actually didn't even seem all that taken aback by it, nor did they seem particularly distasteful towards Nico – which surprised him greatly.

Especially Clarisse.

Nico had almost feared she'd go and break his camera when he had offered to take a picture of her and Chris, but suddenly she had pulled him into the picture as well, between herself and her boyfriend, allowing Percy to take pictures.

Then she had ripped off Nico's hat and made fun of him, but he had laughed as well, so it wasn't all that bad.

Though he knew Jason had gotten a good shot at him with his hair standing off in all directions, which didn't exactly please him.

He would just have to delete that at some point.

With Leo's permission, they had put a password-protected folder on his desktop with Nico's photos in it.

That way, they could empty out the SD-card and make tons more pictures without actually losing the ones they already had. Nico really liked that.

He felt his pocket for the pictures they had printed out.

He was _so_ going to put them in his photo album.

Looking around the camp, he wondered whether that mysterious admirer was watching him right now.

He somehow wished he knew who it was.

Then he could take pictures with him, as well.

He watched as Percy and Jason grabbed Will and pushed him into the snow.

Chuckling, he snapped away with his camera.

Whoever the person was, he was definitely going to thank him especially for the camera.

Somehow, the gifts really did get better by the day.

He remembered thinking that, after the earrings, he had to get disappointed.

And nothing could ever beat the Mrs. O'Leary plushie.

And the sweets were simply awesome.

The scarf had been great as well and immensely useful, since it kept Nico nice and warm, protecting him from any flu coming his way.

But the camera seemed to top all that.

He had always wanted a camera.

But who could have known that?

Percy, Will and Jason looked around at him, laughing, all three sitting in the snow.

He snapped another picture, smirking.

***

By the evening, the thrill of the camera still hadn't faded whatsoever.

They happily shot pictures of pretty much anything that caught their eye, also getting a good snapshot of Piper and Annabeth kissing, which completely shocked Nico, since he had momentarily forgotten his friends were single now.

But to his surprise, both Jason and Percy managed to talk completely normally with their now ex-girlfriends, not even blinking at them holding hands or anything.

He had also taken pictures of that.

"At this rate, we're bound to get you a laptop, Neeks. If you spam your SD-card like that, you'll have to go over to Leo daily and he soon won't have any free space anymore." Will chided and took the camera from him, just to take more pictures of the dining pavilion himself.

Nico made a face.

"I guess I'll think about it."

"Nico~, save me! Annabeth is torturing me!" Percy wailed and Nico blinked, looking around to the dark-haired hero, who was in a headlock from Annabeth.

Nico frowned.

"Oh, please, you need Nico to save you?" Clarisse called over, but Percy only nodded.

"Yes! Only Nico is smart enough to outsmart Annabeth."

"Okay, now you certainly lost the chance for me to let you go. You think he can compete with me? Nothing against you, Nico."

Nico's lips twitched. That had been a direct blow against his pride.

"Oh, this is going to be good." Jason muttered and he and Will stepped back.

Nico stepped forward. "No, actually, I take you up on the challenge."

There was silence.

All eyes fixed on Annabeth and Nico.

Annabeth's gray eyes looked him over, seemingly trying to look through him.

Nico put his hands in his pockets, completely relaxed.

He had wanted to do this for _ages_.

She shrugged. "Sure. Bring it on, Death boy."

"How do you want to settle this, Wise Girl?" He asked, wondering what she was going to go for.

Maybe a fight, but Annabeth would be in disadvantage then.

Maybe some sort of quiz or word game. He could do that.

She had dyslexia too, after all, so there wasn't anything that she could use against him, like spelling.

Then again, he had a feeling she wouldn't go for a quiz.

This was Annabeth, after all.

If anything, she'd go for…

"How about riddles? We go for as long as it takes for one not being able to answer or answering wrongly." she said.

He smiled. She was so easy to read.

She blinked, momentarily confused.

"Alright. I'm in. You start."

"Do I have to stay in a headlock until you guys are done?"

" _Yes_." They both replied curtly.

Percy groaned.

Annabeth thought for a moment.

"Okay, here goes: There are 5 houses painted 5 different colors. In each house lives a person with a different nationality.  
These five people each drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet.  
None of them have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar, or drink the same beverage.

The Brit lives in the red house.  
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.  
The Dane drinks tea.  
The green house is on the left of the white house.  
The green homeowner drinks coffee.  
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.  
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.  
The man living in the center house drinks milk.  
The Norwegian lives in the first house.  
The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.  
The man who keeps the horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.  
The owner who smokes Blue-master drinks beer.  
The German smokes prince.  
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.  
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbor who drinks water.

So, Nico, who owns the fish?"

Nico hesitated.

Then his mind began rattling through what she just said.

There was still silence around them.

He scratched his chin. "That's a good one. How much time do I have to answer?" He asked, completely relaxed.

Annabeth blinked. "Erm…let's say five minutes."

A murmuring went through the pavilion and he heard a few people muter 'Only five minutes?', but he nodded.

"Fair enough. Can you repeat it once more please?"

She did.

Nico closed his eyes, in his mind arranging and rearranging the different aspects.

There was yellow, blue, red, green and white.  
Norwegian, Dane, Brit, German and Swede.  
Water, tea, milk, coffee and beer.  
Dunhill, Blends, Pall Mall, Prince, Blue-masters.  
Cat, Horse, Bird, Dog and…none, so that must be fish.

He began sorting them, arranging and rearranging the five houses in his mind.

"One minute left." Annabeth said quietly.

Nico opened his eyes.

"The German. The German has the fish."

Silence.

Then, Annabeth nodded.

"Fine, your turn."

There was muttering in the pavilion.

Nobody cared about food anymore.

All eyes were glued to Nico and Annabeth.

Will and Jason high-fived.

Nico thought for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"What has a head yet never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps, can run bot cannot walk, and has a bank but not a cent to its name?"

It was really simple, of course.

But Nico couldn't think of anything better right now and it was just so fitting.

Annabeth blinked.

Then there was silence.

Wait, Annabeth _had_ to know that one!

It was so very _easy_.

Jason muttered to a fellow Camp member whose job now was to stop the time.

More silence.

Then Annabeth groaned.

"Of course…a _river_!"

Nico grinned. "Yup."

"That was so easy! How could I not think of that?" She complained, but then focused again.

Nico mentally got ready for her next riddle.

"Okay, what occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment and never in one thousand years?" Annabeth asked.

Nico looked at her exasperated.

"The letter 'M'." was his immediate reply.

Who did she think he was?

She chuckled.

"Okay, fine, I guess that really was too easy."

He thought for a moment.

"There is a basket full of hats. 3 of them are white and 2 of them are black.  
There are 3 men: Tom, Tim and Jim.  
They each take a hat out of the basket and put it on their heads without seeing the hat they selected or the hats the other men selected.  
The men arrange themselves so Tom can see Tim and Jim's hat, Tim can see Jim's hat and Jim can't see anyone's hat.  
Tom is asked what color his hat is and he says he doesn't know.  
Tim is asked the same question and he also doesn't know.  
Finally, Jim is asked the question and he does know.  
What color is his hat?"

There was silence.

The countdown started.

Annabeth frowned, closing her eyes to think.

Nico looked at Percy, still in the headlock, giving him a thumbs-up. He mouthed something to him, but Nico had no clue what it was.

It looked a bit like 'I love you', but he was fairly certain that was just wishful thinking.

He concentrated back on Annabeth.

He knew she'd be able to solve this one.

The problem was that he wasn't sure whether he would remember any good ones to actually win this game.

"One minute left." the camper with the timer said meekly.

Annabeth shuffled.

"White. The hat is white. If Tom doesn't know it, the other two can't be black else he'd know his is white. If Tim doesn't know, then Jim's hat can't be black, else his own would be white. Thus, Jim has a white hat." She explained.

Nico nodded and there was loud muttering in the pavilion, a lot of them admiring their work so far.

"My turn. If you have an 11 and a 13 minute hourglass, how can you accurately time 15 minutes?" She asked.

Nico thought for a moment.

He hated math.

He began counting with his fingers. Eleven minutes…thirteen minutes…thirteen minus eleven…he smiled.

"Start both hourglasses and flip the 11 minute one over immediately when it's done. Then when the 13 minute one runs out, flip the 11 minute one again, because it will be two minutes long then. Equals 15 minutes."

Annabeth looked impressed.

Will whistled.

The others muttered again, looking at him in awe.

"My turn: A natural state, I'm sought by all.  
Go without me, and you shall fall.  
You do me when you spend,  
and use me when you eat to no end.  
What am I?" He asked and the timer started once more.

He really enjoyed this.

Though right now he was only buying time to think of something Annabeth might not be able to solve.

"Balance." Annabeth muttered when there were 3 minutes left.

Nico expected her to know the answer, so he didn't care.

He waited for her next move.

"What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright or the carpenter?" She asked.

Nico frowned.

He had heard that one not too long ago.

Where had it been?

An image flashed through his mind of a ghost he had conversed with at some point.

Who had that been?

He racked his brain for a moment.

Ah. _Shakespeare_.

He remembered.

"The gravedigger, for his houses last forever." He said, grinning.

Annabeth grinned back, though he could see it in her eyes she was running out of ideas.

"Two girls ate dinner together. They both ordered ice tea.  
One girl drank them very fast and drank five of them in the time it took the other to drink one.  
The girl who drank one died while the other survived.  
All of the drinks were poisoned.  
Why did the girl that drank more ice tea survive?" He asked, remembering the story.

The countdown started once more.

Nico racked his brain. There had to be something Annabeth couldn't solve.

He remembered how difficult it had been for her to figure out something simple.

She was expecting difficult things. Maybe he could use that against her?

Otherwise he'd be here all night. Not that he minded, really. He enjoyed riddles.

But Percy seemed pretty uncomfortable in that hold.

"The poison was in the ice cubes." Annabeth said and he nodded.

"Okay, how about this: What came first, the egg or the chicken?"

There was an outburst of complains all over the place, but Nico held up his hand.

"It's eggs."

"Why?"

"Because dinosaurs laid eggs long before there were chickens."

Silence.

Then Jason clapped.

Will whistled.

The others gaped.

Annabeth was now very impressed.

Nico winked at Percy, who did another thumbs-up.

Then he sighed, trying to think of something good.

Something difficult, yet simple.

Something so obvious nobody would think of it.

He couldn't think of anything good.

"We hurt without moving.  
We poison without touching.  
We bear the truth and the lies.  
We are not judged by our size.  
What are we?" He asked, not being able to think of anything better.

The timer started. Gods, where were all his good riddles?

He racked his brain, looking over to Jason, thinking hard.

Something good.

Something she wouldn't think of.

He heard Annabeth shuffle.

Oh, come on, she had to know that one.

He looked at the timer.

Three minutes left.

Two minutes left.

"One minute left." the boy said.

All eyes were on Annabeth now.

"I…give me a moment…" she muttered, her face scrunched up.

Nico blinked.

"30 seconds." The boy said.

Everybody began muttering.

" _Words_!" Annabeth exclaimed and Nico sighed.

Would have been too good to be true.

He nodded and she sighed relieved, then smirked.

"You're pretty good. I underestimated you."

"That wasn't very wise." He retorted and Percy grinned broadly.

"Okay, erm…It is greater than God and more evil than the devil.  
The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you'll die.  
What is it?"

The timer started.

Nico frowned, touching on his skull earrings absent-mindedly.

Greater than god, more evil than the devil.

He couldn't think of a lot other than Tartarus, but he doubted that was the answer.

The poor have it…the rich need it…

What did the poor have…?

What do rich people need?

It clicked.

"Nothing."

Annabeth grinned. Nico smiled back.

And then he had an idea.

"Okay, here I go: 7 months have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?"

It was a catch question.

And Annabeth completely fell for it.

"One."

Silence.  
Silence.  
Silence.

"Shit." She muttered, letting Percy go and facepalmed.

Nico grinned broadly.

"Okay, fine. You win. I'll remember that." she said, but she grinned back.

Jason clapped. So did pretty much everybody else.

"I don't get it." Percy muttered, confused.

"Every month has 28 days." Annabeth explained, exasperated.

Will went to hug Nico. "You were amazing, Neeks!" He said, almost lifting Nico off the ground.

Nico only grinned stupidly.

"I knew you're the only one who could outsmart her!" Percy called, patting his shoulder.

"Thanks for getting me out of that headlock. I already started going numb."

Nico chuckled, ears turning red. "You're just lucky I enjoy riddles."

The others in the pavilion were badly impressed, to say the least.

And suddenly, they didn't seem scared of Nico so much anymore.

A lot of kids he knew usually avoided him and scrambled off when he was close-by actually came up to him and patted him on the shoulder or nodded in his direction, grinning at him.

It was really cool.

Jason looked at him fondly, giving him a thumbs-up.

He grinned back.

Then he began taking pictures of pretty much anybody who cared to take a picture – which suddenly seemed to be the whole camp.

Maybe he should really consider getting a laptop for all those pictures he took.


	7. Day 6: 6th of December

**Day 6: Saturday, 6th of December**

At 7 am in the morning, Nico was already wide awake, going through his new photo album. He had added the pictures the night before, after the others had already left for their cabins.

His gaze travelled to the camera on his bedside-table.

He loved that thing – though he definitely had to go print out some more pictures later.

At this rate, the photo album would be overflowing with photos long before Christmas.

Maybe he should think of a nice way to organize them.

He definitely wanted some pictures of Hazel and Reyna in there, after all.

He looked towards the two new items on his bedside table.

He had already read the note and opened his gift.

He grinned to himself, picking the note up once more and rereading it.

 

[Dear Nico,

I love your eyes.

At first, they seemed so cold, but in truth, they are full of emotions, the warmest eyes I've ever seen.

I could get lost in those eyes forever.

I hope you like your camera. The pictures you took were amazing.

You have real talent.

Today's gift makes for a nice, relaxing day in your cabin.

Hope you got the snacks ready.

I love you, Nico.

I love you and I want you.

Want to kiss you, want to touch you, want to make love to you.

Have a nice 6th day of December, my Riddle Master.

I can't wait to hear your answer.

I love you,

Your secret Admirer

P.s.: Good job against Annabeth yesterday ;) You rock!]

 

Nico put the note down again, smiling to himself.

Yes, he was proud of his stand off against Annabeth, as well.

Though he was also thinking of what his admirer wrote.

'The pictures you took were amazing'

So, he had seen the pictures Nico had taken. Nico must have seen him yesterday at some point, then.

Now he wished he hadn't given out his camera to pretty much everyone and taken pictures of everyone and everything.

'I love you and I want you. Want to kiss you, want to touch you, want to make love to you.'

He blushed.

Really, that _was_ going a bit far, right?

He didn't even know who that person was, yet.

How could he just tell him something like that?

Nico fidgeted and picked up the gift of the day.

It was a Christmas DVD.

Nico wasn't much of a Christmas person, but this one actually didn't sound half bad.

It was some sort of comedy and he knew his friends would love to watch it with him.

Though he wondered once more how it would be to actually watch a film with this mysterious admirer.

Would it be awkward? Most likely.

Would he enjoy it? Probably.

Would they make out? He blushed and refused to think further.

Seriously, he always scolded himself for thinking one of his friends was pretty or cute, but he actually allowed himself to picture himself making out with a person he didn't even know yet?

Well, he supposedly _did_ know the person.

But he simply didn't know that the person liked him, yet.

Same difference.

Whatever.

He flopped back into bed, grabbing Mrs. O'Leary Jr. for comfort.

His mind began going through all the people he had seen yesterday.

Damn.

He had pretty much seen the entire camp.

Great.

Couldn't that person have written something a tiny bit more detailed?

Couldn't that person simply write his name down instead of 'Your secret Admirer'?

Just once?

Nico swore he wouldn't laugh or whatever.

He just so badly wanted to _know_!

He hated guessing and then scolding himself for guessing.

He didn't want to be disappointed.

But, by now, he was wondering whether he even _could_ be disappointed.

That person really cared about him.

Really, genuinely seemed to hold some sort of romantic affection for him.

That person actually seemed to _love_ him.

Nico didn't know how well he knew the person, but he instantly felt bad for being ignorant to their feelings.

He knew from the way Percy had been with him that that could really hurt.

If only he knew who it was, then he could change that…

There was a knock on the door.

He sighed and got up, glad he was already dressed.

He had also tried to do a ponytail himself, but had failed miserably, so his hair was out and about as usual.

"Morning, Neeks. Yay, today I'm your first." Will cheered and rushed inside.

Nico blinked at that choice of words but didn't say anything other than a mumbled 'Good morning' and closed the door again, though leaving it unlocked.

No point in locking it, the other two would show up in no time again, anyways.

"Oh, so you've already opened today's gift? Sweet, a DVD. We got to watch that. Actually, I've never seen this one before. But I bet it's good. So far anything that guy gave you was awesome, after all. Oh, and there's the note. May I?"

Nico nodded quietly, though inwardly he was in an inner conflict.

The notes seemed to get more intimate by the day.

He wasn't sure whether he even wanted his friends to read today's note.

What, with the 'I want to make love to you' part and all.

He wasn't necessarily embarrassed about it.

Truth be told, he actually found it surprising, if not even arousing, that another guy – whoever it was – thought of him in a sexual way.

That at least indicated that the person had given them some actual thought and was not some weird straight person thinking he was in love with Nico just to then flee at the first notion of sex.

Will's eyebrows shot up.

"Whoa, somebody is pretty open about wanting you in their bed, Neeks." He commented and read on.

Nico flushed and looked away.

There came a knock on the door.

Nico hurried over and found Jason grinning down at him.

"Good morning, Nico."

"Morning…" Nico muttered quietly and let him in, though leaving the door ajar so Percy could just walk in.

"You okay?" Jason asked, worry clearly audible in his voice.

Nico nodded. "Yeah, it's just…"

"He's probably nervous because his admirer wants to have sex with him." Will called and Jason's eyes widened for a moment, looking down at Nico.

Nico hissed.

"It's not like that." He said defensively and wondered vaguely who he was defending.

Jason raised an eyebrow and walked over to the bed, taking the card from Will and reading it himself.

Nico sighed.

Well, at least he knew his secret admirer wasn't among his best friends.

Not that he had ever thought that.

Maybe imagined it a couple of times, but he wasn't going to admit to that.

Like, ever.

"Aww, Neeks, no need to be nervous about it. You're so sexy, I'm surprised nobody else has made a move on you yet."

Nico blushed a deep shade of red.

_What_?!

"Will. Don't scare him. I've been trying to protect him the best I could from molesters." Jason said quietly.

_Hello_?!

"Aw, man. You know you can't protect his virginity forever."

"E-Excuse me…" Nico put in, purple in the face.

Where the hell was this conversation going?

They both laughed.

"Don't worry, Neeks. We're just-…"

"Who said I'm a virgin?" Nico cut them off.

They both stared at him.

Then they both blushed.

Nico put his hands to his hips, raising his eyebrows cockily.

"Whoa, Nico, I never knew you could make them blush like that. Pro move." Came Percy's voice at his ear.

He squirmed and jumped away. "Percy! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

The dark-haired hero smirked at him, admiration in his eyes.

Will and Jason cleared their throats.

"So, who has something to say about Nico's virginity? Lemme see that note." Percy demanded and walked over to the bed.

Nico was still rather flustered.

Of course, he _was_ still a virgin. But that didn't mean he was going to say it out loud to his friends, much less let them assume something like that as if he was completely innocent.

Percy chuckled. "Well, I can tell this is going to be one lucky guy if he gets to make out with you, Neeks. I think you'll be quite a handful to handle."

Nico blushed a dark shade of red.

_What_?

Jason nodded and leaned back. "After that statement, definitely."

"I want my cute, little, innocent Nico back." Will wailed.

They laughed.

"He's still cute. But didn't yesterday's riddle-battle show you not to underestimate him?" Percy asked, grinning at Nico, who only looked away, pressing his lips tightly together.

"I always knew he was awesome." Jason muttered, winking at Nico.

Nico rolled his eyes, though he also smiled and went to get the TV.

"Let's watch that DVD." He announced and Will immediately went and collected snacks.

Nico vaguely wondered how he knew where they were.

But he let him, anyways.

***

The movie was awesome.

It was really funny and in a way that all of them could laugh.

This time, Jason and Will were on the left and right of Nico, with Percy next to Will to pull him away in case he overstepped his boundaries again.

But he didn't.

Which Nico was inwardly glad about.

"Seriously, that admirer got pretty good taste." Will commented as the credits started rolling on the screen.

"We already knew that when he picked Nico." Percy said, grinning at Nico who blushed and looked away.

Will rolled his eyes. "True. But who could resist Nico, in the first place?"

"Please, not this again…" Nico muttered quietly and dropped his face on his arms.

They chuckled and Jason pulled him closer.

"Though it certainly will be weird if you two work out. Who are we going to spend all that time with then when you're busy?"

There was silence.

"No! Nico, you can't leave us!" Will started wailing and there was rustling.

Next moment, he felt Percy drop on top of him, wrapping his arms around him.

"No way! Nico has to stay with _me_! What am I going to do when he's gone?! Nico, I'm sorry, but you have to stay single forever. I need you."

"Dude! Get off him. You two only realize that now?" Jason exclaimed, pushing Percy sideways as he tried to get Nico out of his grip.

"G-Guys…" Nico muttered, feeling himself pulled, pushed and thrown around.

"Nico~!" Percy and Will wailed, tugging on Nico and he found one hand at a rather dangerous place.

Jason grabbed Nico out of their clutches and pulled him out, pressing him against his chest before letting him go slowly.

"Seriously, you're mishandling him."

"Guys…what the hell…" Nico muttered as he jumped off the bed, looking utterly disheveled.

"He's right. We don't even know who it is, yet. Who knows, maybe we'll actually get along with him as well and-…"

"What the hell, who of you _opened my pants_?" Nico interrupted Jason's speech as he felt his pants sliding slowly but surely down. He pulled them back up and fixed them, though he still glared at all three of them.

"Not. Funny." He said in his best Ghost-King-voice.

"Eh?" Jason asked, looking around at the other two, joining in on the glaring.

Percy looked dumbfounded for a moment, then glared at Will.

Will frowned thoughtfully…then his eyes widened.

"Oops. Hehe, sorry, sweetheart."

" _Solace_!" Both Percy and Jason growled – then they jumped at him.

Nico could only stare.

Seriously?

The three were like a bunch of street cats growling and hissing and all over each other.

For some reason, he started laughing.

It all was just too stupid.

***

They went outside that day again, building snowmen and capturing them on Nico's camera.

By now, he did decide he would really get himself a laptop and printer at some point.

Some point soon, judging by the amount of actually decent photos they had taken so far.

Nico found himself looking around at fellow campers, maybe a tiny bit looking for somebody who could be that admirer.

But other than his three friends, there was nobody around to really indicate any particular interest in him.

"Let me take some pictures of you, Nico. You always capture everything but yourself." Percy complained and took his camera.

"What do I want to do with pictures of myself?" Nico asked, confused, but Percy was already clicking away.

"Smile."

"I don't do smiles."

"Yes, you do. Really sexy ones, didn't you read your notes?"

Nico blushed.

"Ah, that's good, too. Now gimme more of that sassy Nico. Hands on your hips and head high."

"What in Hades…" Nico muttered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking flustered.

"Haha, fine. How about you hug your snowman instead?"

"I am NOT hugging a snowman so you can snap a photo of it."

"Aww, please?"

Nico stared at him.

Percy stared back, baby-seal-eye-mode activated.

Damn that Jackson.

Nico hugged the snowman.

Percy chuckled and happily snapped away.

He also got a good shot of Nico being whacked in the back of the head by a snowball fired by Will.

And some pretty amazing photos of Nico taking up arms and throwing them at Jason and Will, each and every single on hitting their mark.

But mostly, Percy took pictures of Nico's expression, his stance, everything about him.

As Nico zapped through the pictures on his camera later, he could only shake his head.

"And what am I supposed to do with those now?" He asked Jason, who stood next to him.

"Well, print them of course."

"But what do I want with pictures of myself?"

"If you don't want them, I'm sure your admirer would love some." Jason said, shrugging.

Nico blushed.

For a moment, he thought of deleting the pictures.

But then he decided against it. Not because of his admirer of course.

But if anybody ever had to send a search group for him and people didn't know how a 'scrawny, weird, little kid' looked, the pictures might come in handy.

***

He went to bed that night, wondering whether he had met his admirer today again without knowing.

For all he knew, it could be anybody. Yet it also couldn't.

The person had claimed Nico knew him.

But the people Nico knew weren't gay.

What if the person thought Nico knew him but Nico actually didn't?

He wished there was a sign or something. Some sort of hint that would let him narrow it down a bit.

Then he thought of Will, Jason and Percy.

Guilt filled him.

Was it fair to date somebody just because they gave you nice gifts, when you still had feelings for somebody else?

He had said he was over Percy, but he wasn't really over him at all.

Jason was an amazing guy and Nico knew he could also picture more with him.

And then there was Will. He really liked Will, even if he was a bit pushy. Maybe he liked him especially because of that.

If the stranger knew him so well, did he know about these feelings as well?

He had never actually mentioned Nico's friends in any of the notes.

Maybe he simply didn't care? Maybe he hoped Nico would choose him over his friends, knowing that he knew that they were straight.

Probably.

Nico wasn't sure.

As he fell asleep, however, he found himself imagining once more how it would be if it was one of his friends.

Entirely impossible.

Yet he liked the thought.


	8. Day 7: 7th of December

**Day 7: 2nd Advent Sunday**

"Good morning, Nico!" Jason's voice sounded through Nico's cabin.

Nico groaned and turned around in his bed.

"Remind me to never tell anybody ever again where the spare key is…" He muttered, more to himself than anybody else, and pushed his head beneath the pillow, clutching Mrs. O'Leary for dear life as if she could take him back to his dreams.

It had been such nice dreams, too.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. But it's Sunday! Let's fire a candle!"

"Isn't it called 'light' a candle?" Nico mumbled and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"Oops, could be. Hey, look, your admirer was here again."

That woke him up, alright.

He looked around to his bedside table. Sure enough, there was a note and a small package.

He felt the anticipation and excitement building inside him, but tried to push it down, looking over at Jason.

Jason chuckled and flopped down on his bed. "I can see the anticipation in your eyes, Neeks. No need to hold back. If somebody would do something like that for me, well, I'd be all over it first thing in the morning, every morning. Especially if there were brownies involved."

Nico laughed and gingerly took the note.

Jason gave him some space, which Nico was immensely grateful for. He still wanted to be the first to read the notes and he wanted to do it alone.

 

[Dear Nico,

the second of four Advent Sundays. Isn't this great?  
Today, I got something really special for you.

I hope you will like it.

Did you enjoy the DVD? I thought it was quite good.  
I would love to watch it alone with you at some point as well.

I know you are curious who I am. I really wish I could tell you, Nico. I really do.  
But I swore to myself I'd do this for you.

And I intend to keep my word.

I love you, Nico. I love you and everything about you and everything you are.

And I absolutely love your pouting face.

Have a nice 7th day of December, my Angel.

I love you,  
Your secret Admirer]

 

Nico's world spun.

 _What_?!

He stared down at the card, flying over the text once more.

This was…impossible.

He looked at Jason, his mind reeling as he felt overwhelmed and…lost.

"You okay? What does it say?" Jason asked, tilting his head slightly.

Nico hesitantly passed him the card, though he didn't immediately let go.

 _What_?!

This couldn't be.

It _couldn't_ be.

Jason took the card carefully, his eyes fixed on Nico.

Nico blinked, letting go of the card and turning away.

No, that must just be some sort of misunderstanding.

He looked at the small package. As he grabbed for it, his fingers were a bit shaky, but he tried to control them.

"Oh…" Jason muttered.

Nico didn't look around, fumbling with the package instead.

Before either of them could say anything, Percy and Will marched in.

"Good morning!" Both greeted in unison, grinning broadly.

Nico looked them over for a moment.

No. It was just a mistake.

He must have misunderstood.

It couldn't possibly mean anything.

"What's the note of the day?" Will asked, flopping down next to Jason and reading it quietly.

"Nico? You okay?" asked Percy, looking at him worriedly.

Nico nodded quickly and still fumbled with the small package.

"Want me to help?" Jason offered next to him.

He shook his head.

He needed something to occupy his hands right now.

" _Well_ …" Will muttered, taken aback, then passed the card to Percy.

Nico fumbled with the package even more, not really trying to open it, really.

It was all just a stupid mistake. There was no way this was what he was thinking.

No way, at all.

He looked up at Percy, who raised both eyebrows in surprise.

Then he looked at Nico.

"Nico…who knows your pouting face other than the three of us?"

Nico bit his lips. "Nobody…"

There was silence in the room.

"Really? Like, you never did that before?" Will asked, looking at him with a frown.

"With Bianca, sure, but, I mean, she's dead." Nico still fumbled with the package.

"Well…awkward…" Percy muttered.

"So, either somebody stalks you hardcore, you pout in your sleep, or it's one of us?" Will summed up.

Nico stopped fidgeting.

"No. No, that can't be." He muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"It must be some kind of mistake. Maybe he meant it differently. Anyways, it doesn't…"

He didn't finish whatever he was going to say.

He didn't really know what he was going to say, either.

He shook his head again.

"Let's just forget it." He said and got up.

"Nico?" Jason asked quietly.

Nico walked over to his closet, pulling out clothes at random.

"I'll be in the bathroom." He muttered and left.

As soon as he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it, sighing.

' _I love your pouting face_.'

Was this some cruel joke?

He had never shown his pouting face to anybody other than his three friends.

And it couldn't be one of them.

It simply couldn't.

But then who could it be? Nobody else had been there.

What the hell?

Did that person mean something like 'I bet you have a cute pouting face'?

Or did Nico make a face that looked similar to it and that person just assumed it to be?

Did that person even exist?

Could there be a person that truly loved Nico the way he was?

He sighed. He shouldn't think like this.

If the person didn't exist, then how could he send Nico messages and gifts?

If it was all a joke, why go through the trouble of writing messages and giving him gifts?

He didn't understand.

Nico went to have a really long shower. Mostly, he just stood under the running water, letting it rain down on him with closed eyes, thinking.

He tried to go about it logically, but couldn't make sense of it.

In the end, he just dropped it all.

Who cared?

On Christmas Eve, he'd find out, and then everything would solve itself eventually.

He wished he could hate the person for making him feel this way.

But he knew inwardly that the person meant no harm.

Could anybody give him a Mrs. O'Leary plushie without actually caring about him?

Could anybody give him a camera, which he never had told anybody he wanted, without actually caring about him?

And there he had the perfect example.

The person simply knew him so well.

He had guessed Nico would like a camera. He probably had also guessed Nico would have a cute pouting face.

Matter solved.

End of story.

Nico shut down the water and got out the shower, realizing how he was letting his friends wait on him forever.

"It's none of them." He muttered to himself.

He thought back to their reactions. None of them could have acted that well to actually hide it.

Also, none of them had any reason to.

Seriously, if in some wild, distant fantasy of his, one of those three would come out to him and say 'Hey Neeks, I like you, want to date me?', he'd gladly say yes.

After that someone proved to him he actually didn't mean it as a joke, that was.

He hesitated.

Wasn't that what the admirer had said though? That he wanted to prove his feelings to Nico?

Nico shook the thought out of his head.

"It's none of them." He repeated and looked at himself in the mirror.

He noticed his fingers were touching the skull earrings again. Seriously, somehow he had never taken them out.

He wondered vaguely if he was even supposed to leave them in all the time.

But then again, he didn't really care.

He was too worried he might lose them if he took them off.

Putting his clothes on hurriedly, he left for his friends.

They all still sat where he had left them, looking at him with big eyes.

"You okay?" Jason asked.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine. So, let's check out that gift." Nico said hastily and flopped down on the bed, noticing how he had instinctively put more space between them than necessary.

He saw Jason drop his head slightly out of the corner of his eye and knew he had noticed as well.

As he opened the package, he tried to make up for it by coming closer, but he found himself unable to get too close.

Percy took a tentative step towards him, but he didn't look up, his gaze on the small object he

slowly uncovered.

"What's that?" Will asked, frowning.

"Looks like something Leo would build." Jason muttered.

"Is that a crank at the side?" Percy pointed towards the side of the small instrument.

Nico had never seen anything like it.

He turned it around in his hands, when he noticed two straps.

"Is that some sort of watch?"

Nico shrugged and put it around his left wrist. Then he fumbled around with it.

As he turned the crank, the black surface of the object lit up in all the colors of the rainbow.

What? Was this supposed to be him showing the world he was gay?

Next moment, the device made a small buzzing noise and suddenly, there was a perfect rainbow and mist.

"It's an Iris-Messaging-device!" Percy, Jason and Will exclaimed, awed.

Nico only stared. He looked down at the screen.

'Please deposit Drachma now. Tap screen to end connection.'

He tapped the screen and the rainbow faded.

He blinked. "This is…"

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Then he thought of how many times he had had to work hard on getting a good connection with Reyna or Hazel.

He looked around at his friends. "This is amazing. Who would get an idea like that?"

They all grinned at him, shrugging.

"Want to try it out?" Percy asked, eagerly.

Jason chuckled.

"Dude, it's barely 7am in the morning. Who would he call at 7am in the morning?"

Percy jumped up. "How about I run back to my cabin and you try it with me? I want to know if that thing really works!"

Nico blinked. "But that'd be a waste of a drachma!" He muttered.

All three rummaged in their pockets and pulled out a drachma each, passing it to Nico.

"You know what, I'll go back to my cabin too and you try me too." Jason announced.

"And me!" Will chimed in.

And with that, all three hurried out the door.

Nico stared after them.

Then he shook his head, chuckling to himself.

He glanced over at the note again.

It wasn't any of them. But that was okay.

It had just been a mistake.

After giving them all five minutes, he decided to first call up Percy.

When he had the connection up however, he noticed that the screen now read 'Deposit another drachma for additional connection'.

Curious, he did, calling Jason.

It actually worked.

It was as if the screen got split in two like in those games.

Just that instead of top or bottom, it was left and right.

He checked the screen and threw another drachma in, calling Will.

It worked.

"Oh my gods, I can see you all!" Percy exclaimed, a gleam in his eyes.

"This is amazing! I wonder if that thing has connection, like, everywhere." Jason muttered, fascinated.

"This is like high definition for IM-ing, I daresay. I swear, this stuff looks as if you're standing right in front of me!" Will explained enthusiastically, thus waking most of his fellow cabin mates.

"What the hell…"

"What in the name of Apollo…"

"Will, get out!"

"Chat with your boyfriends somewhere else, man!"

"Would you be quiet?!"

Came several complaints and Will made a face.

"Sorry, guys. Anyways, Nico, I'll be on my way back to you, now. See you, babe."

"WOULD YOU BE QUIET?!" Came the yell of several more cabin mates.

Will blew Nico a kiss and ended the call.

Nico stared. Jason and Percy both had their eyebrows raised.

"Nico, I'm on my way. There's no way I'll let him at you!" Jason said and promptly ended the call.

Nico blinked, still flustered.

"Nico?" Percy asked, quietly.

How weird that it was Percy who had kept up the call the longest. "Hm?"

"Would it really be that bad if it turned out to be one of us three? To be your admirer, I mean."

Nico blinked rapidly. "Eh…" Then he blushed. "I…erm…"

Percy looked at him rather thoughtful for a moment, making Nico wonder if he knew who it was.

No, it wasn't any of them. Nico touched his earring absent-mindedly.

"I suppose…I suppose not…I…I mean…you're all straight, so I try not to think of you that way…but I wouldn't…wouldn't mind…" He fidgeted, moving the picture with Percy around with him accidentally.

He forced himself to hold still.

Percy grinned at him. "Okay. I'll be coming over now, too. Want to bet I'm the first one there?"

Nico shrugged. "I know you could make it."

Percy winked. "I _will_ make it."

With that, he ended the call, leaving Nico flustered and alone.

But he didn't mind. He knew his friends were on their way.

***

Percy actually did make it.

Though that was most likely because Will and Jason had been too fixed on getting there first that they had tried stopping each other, while Percy had sneaked past them unnoticed and into Nico's cabin.

Thus, when the others arrived, utterly wet and disheveled, Percy and Nico were sitting on the bed, laughing and grinning at them broadly.

"Told you Jason would be second." Nico said and Percy sighed exasperated, grabbing him and ruffling through his hair.

"Fine, you were right."

"Hey, why did you say I'd be last, Neeks? Unfair!" Will wailed.

Nico chuckled, winding himself out of Percy's grip. "Sorry, Will, but your cabin is the furthest away and I knew Jason was going to do anything to stop you from getting here first."

Jason grinned victoriously at Will, who only pouted.

Then they all laughed and pushed each other around and played.

Which was all well and funny until Will grabbed Nico around the waist, lifted him up way too easily, threw him over his shoulder and ran off.

"Solace!" Jason and Percy both yelled and chased after him.

Will only laughed loudly, ignoring Nico's swearing (gods, he had never sworn that much, at least not out loud) and rushed through his cabin.

Then, suddenly, he grabbed Nico's scarf and aviator's jacket and before Percy or Jason got to him, he rushed outside.

"No! Will! Cold!" Nico wailed and tried kicking, but Will only laughed and stormed off towards the forest, past a few early birds, who only looked around horrified at them dashing past.

"Solace! I swear I'll kill you when I get to you!" Percy yelled after him.

"Don't you dare, Percy! He's mine!" Jason called and they both hurried after Will.

Will ran into the forest, Nico still thrown over his shoulder, grabbing hold of his scarf as it flew off his back and past him.

 _Really_? This was so _childish_!

Yet he found himself laughing unwillingly.

Will stopped at a small clearing, putting Nico down and instantly pressing him against a big tree.

"Will, what in…"

"Shh…" Will interrupted him and put his hand over Nico's mouth.

Nico felt Will's body heat through his sweater.

Really? Did he have to be _that_ close?

It seemed he had to get even closer, for he pressed his body even more against him, keeping him pinned to the tree behind him, unable to move.

Nico stared up at him.

Will looked off into the distance, a mischievous grin on his face.

He could _so_ be a child of Hermes.

He certainly was troublemaker enough for one.

Though child of Apollo suited him just fine, as well.

Will turned his face, his lips brushing against Nico's forehead ever so slightly.

He was around as tall as Percy, if Nico had to guess.

He felt his face getting hot but pushed it down, closing his eyes shut tightly.

"Nico…" Will breathed quietly, looking down at him.

Nico felt the heat radiating from the blonde, warming him.

He peeked up at him through one eye slightly.

Will grinned down at him.

Then he felt a hand on his chin.

What.

He felt his face being moved upwards.

What?

Will's face came closer, minimizing the space between them.

What?!

Nico stared as Will looked at him through half-closed eyes, his lips maybe half an inch away from Nico's.

 _What_?!

"Solace!" Percy yelled and next moment, Jason and Percy seemed to plummet out of the sky (they probably did…) and tore Will away from Nico.

Nico only stood there, dumbfounded.

What the…what had _that_ been?

He stared without actually processing what they were doing.

While Will was running away again, laughing, Jason chased after him at top speed, and Percy came over and held out his aviator's jacket to him.

"You okay?" He asked worriedly when Nico still didn't take it, staring off into space.

His body was still frozen against the tree.

"Nico?" Percy asked, coming closer slowly, worry in his voice.

Nico blinked. Then he took his jacket, still confused.

"Is everything okay?" Percy asked quietly and reached out a hand tentatively to Nico, touching his shoulder gently.

He shivered under the touch.

Percy took the jacket from Nico's weak grip and put it around him, using it as an excuse to step closer to him.

Then he cautiously lifted his chin with one hand.

Nico flinched and pulled away, stepping back.

"I- I'm fine…" He muttered and slipped into his jacket, wrapping the scarf around himself hastily.

Percy frowned for a moment. "Did Will do something?"

"No!" Nico said way too fast and scolded himself inwardly.

The next moment, Will ran back into the clearing, spotted Nico and instantly hid behind him.

Jason came hurtling in as well, completely out of breath.

"Seriously…what…the hell…are we even doing…here?" He asked, leaning over to catch his breath.

Nico turned his head sideways to Will, who was equally out of breath, grinning at him mischievously.

Had he only misunderstood?

Had that moment been just his imagination?

It had to be.

Nothing else made sense.

And at any rate, why would Will attempt to kiss him, in the first place?

He had probably just gotten closer because he had guessed the other two would be close by.

Percy was still watching him worriedly.

He swallowed and tried a smile. "Guys, erm…thanks for saving me, I suppose? Can we settle on _not_ picking me up and carrying me around, though? I don't think it goes well with my…stomach…" He made up and Will laughed, slowly taking his hands off Nico's shoulders and straightening himself.

"Fine, fair point. Sorry, Neeks. I just wanted to have you to myself for a moment."

"What did you two do?" Percy asked suspiciously.

"Ah, this and that, but all in all, nothing really. You two kind of stopped us before anything _could_ happen, really. Talk about spoilsports."

Nico swallowed hard and started fumbling with his hands.

Percy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he looked ready to kill.

Jason cleared his throat loudly, noticing Nico's behavior as well. "Whatever. Let's just get back inside. It's freaking cold here. Let's grab something to eat and then we can think about what we're going to do. Deal?"

"Deal." Nico muttered instantly, not even really listening to what Jason had said.

Will looked around at him now as well. He nudged him in the side.

"You okay?" He asked and looked concerned.

"I…" What did he want to say? I'm fine? I think so? I think you wanted to kiss me? I don't know?

"Solace. Scram." Jason said, protectively putting his arm around him, pulling him away from Will.

Nico was inwardly relieved.

He felt Jason pulling him with him slowly and went with it, glad that he didn't ask him whether he was okay.

He wasn't okay. Not really.

His heart was in turmoil.

Had Will actually _wanted_ to kiss him?

Or had he just played?

And if he had wanted to kiss him, would Nico really have let him do it just like that?

He didn't know.

He hadn't really refused him or anything.

The other two boys walked behind him, so he couldn't see them.

He also didn't turn around to look at them.

Instead, he leaned slightly against Jason.

Jason was a really great person.

He always made Nico feel somewhat safe.

In a calming type of way.

He never pushed himself onto him, never made him feel all heated and weird.

Of course, Nico admitted he felt somewhat attracted to him, but it was easier to handle with his gentle nature, compared to Percy and Will.

Jason noticed and smiled at him reassuringly, tightening his hold around him.

***

They seriously spent the first Advent Sunday sitting around the Camp Fire all day, playing cards.

Will and Percy didn't speak a word with each other, though neither named a reason.

They happily took each other out in any card game they brought up, usually ending with Jason and Nico competing against each other alone.

Nico didn't really mind. Jason was surprisingly good at card games.

Who knew, maybe Nico would show him how to play Mythomagic at some point.

Not that he still played that game, of course.

He sighed, beating Jason narrowly once more. Then he leaned back in his chair, looking around.

Over the day, most of the kids at camp had come together here. Even Clarisse and her boyfriend stood close to the big fire (due to the cold it was pretty much on all day long, everyday), holding hands and chatting.

He wondered vaguely if his admirer was somewhere here as well.

His eyes fell on Percy, Will and Jason and he looked away hastily again.

None of them.

He thought of that almost-kiss in the forest with Will.

His heart missed a beat.

What if- NO!

He shouldn't think like this.

It had been nothing but a misunderstanding.

Definitely.

If he started thinking like that, he'd only be disappointed in the end.

Not to mention Will would most likely be utterly weirded out.

No, he couldn't do that to him.

He looked around at the campers around him once more.

Then he sighed.

"Hey, Neeks, I have decided." Will suddenly said and they looked around at him.

"Hm?" Nico asked, frowning.

"Remember the day you promised me? I want to take you up on that tomorrow."

Percy growled. "You think I'll leave you alone with him for a whole day after doing gods-know-what to him today in a few minutes?"

While Nico blushed and started stammering, Will scratched the side of his neck embarrassed and Jason's head shot around.

"What did you do?" He asked sharply.

But Will only held up his hands. "I didn't do anything, really. Tell them, Nico!"

Nico felt his ears burning. "He…he really didn't…"

"Nico."

Why was Percy's voice so freaking…persuasive?

Nico felt a shiver run down his back.

Blah.

"He…he really didn't do anything."

Percy didn't look satisfied.

"Well, I won't have it." He said instead and crossed his arms.

Will started protesting. Jason had his gaze fixed on Nico. Nico sighed.

"Guys, it's okay. I promised each of you a day. Tomorrow is Monday. How about I spend tomorrow with Will, next Monday with Percy and the one after that with Jason? That way each of you get your very own day and everybody is happy. Can we just…not argue? It _is_ Christmas time, after all."

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Will nodded. "Fine by me."

"Alright, if you are okay with that, Nico." Jason agreed.

Nico looked around at Percy. Their gazes met.

Nico wanted to squirm away, lower his gaze, hide somewhere.

But he stood his ground.

Will really hadn't done anything other than push him against a tree.

He might have tried to kiss him or whatever, but he hadn't actually done it.

Percy tore his gaze away, looking miffed.

"Fine."

Nico grabbed his hand instinctively, pressing it slightly.

"Thanks. Then it's all settled." He said and pulled his hand back swiftly, scolding himself for touching Percy like that.

Percy only looked around at him slightly surprised, but didn't say anything.

"So, who's up for another game of-…" He started, but was interrupted by a random female camper suddenly popping up at their table.

"Can you guys play strip-poker? You are absolutely _hot_!" She squealed and then ran off again before they could even answer.

"What…the hell…" Nico muttered, staring after her.

Will started chuckling, first because of the girl, then because of Nico's expression.

Percy and Jason had only raised their eyebrows, but as they looked around at Nico, they also started chuckling.

Nico flushed and looked down, hiding his face. "Why do you always have to laugh about me…" He complained, hiding behind his hands, but they pulled them away.

"We don't laugh about you. We laugh at you. And if you start laughing too, then we'll be laughing with you." Will said, grinning broadly.

Nico sighed and shook his head, though when Jason held up the cards and wriggled his eyebrows, he admitted he had to laugh as well.

"Should we fulfill her wish, then?" Will asked and Percy stretched, flexing his muscles.

"Dude, I'm awesome at Poker. Are you sure you want to sit out here in the cold naked, while I sit here like a boss?"

"Percy, I beat you all in any card game in existence. If anything, you three would be freezing your butts off while I'm still completely dressed." Nico stated grinning.

"Nah, I'd actually beat you this time, Nico, and then I'd be the only one still dressed."

"Are we seriously discussing this right now?" Nico muttered, putting his face into his hands, pictures zooming through his head.

He definitely should _not_ picture them naked. Under no circumstances.

He was _so_ picturing them naked.

"Aww, Neeks, you okay?" Will asked, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. No hard feelings."

He thought of what he had just said and found himself chuckling at his own choice of words.

Jason pressed his lips together but also started chuckling.

Percy and Will looked from one to the other, confused.

"Huh?"

"It's an inside joke, sorry." Jason grinned broadly and high-fived with Nico, who still laughed to himself.

They didn't play strip-poker.

Which was good for Jason, Percy and Will, for they played normal poker and Nico beat them in all games.

They kept making up excuses, but all in all, they laughed and admitted defeat.

Though Percy really hadn't been bad. Certainly better than at Canasta.

They had their dinner at Percy's table, for it was closest to the fire and thus the warmest place to sit.

After that, they had slowly trudged back to the cabins, because the space around the Camp Fire was way too crowded now.

"We should seriously start training more, again. We haven't even been in the arena in forever."

Percy moaned and stretched, looking wistfully towards the arena.

"You can take Nico there next Monday." Will offered, only to point out he had Nico for himself tomorrow.

Percy scowled at him. "Ha-ha. I'm going to do something special with him that day, mind you. But maybe this week we can do some training. What do you say, Neeks? Jason?"

Really, did Percy have to make it sound like a date?

To Nico, it definitely sounded like a date.

'I'm going to do something special with him that day'.

He wondered what Percy would think of.

Probably something with water, he guessed. Well, he didn't mind, as long as he survived it and didn't get sick again.

"Sure." He said, belatedly realizing that he wasn't even referring to the training.

Oops.

Oh well, at least he hadn't done any harm by agreeing to it.

"Muahaha, then it's settled. We'll be training this week. You better watch your back, Solace."

"Percy, stop scaring him." Jason chided.

"I'm not scared." Will retorted sourly.

"You should be." Both Jason and Nico muttered.

Will made a face.

Percy chuckled menacingly.

"Then again, I know Percy would never truly harm you, because he knows I would be pretty upset about that." Nico added and Percy scowled.

"He doesn't need to know that. Let me have some fun torturing him."

Nico rolled his eyes.

Jason chuckled.

They bade their goodbyes to Will, who was the first to get dropped off tonight.

As they walked away, Nico sighed.

"He didn't do anything, you know…" He muttered to Percy, but Percy only shook his head.

"I know what I saw, Nico. You looked devastated. I thought for a moment you were going to cry."

Nico looked away.

Jason got closer and looked at them questioningly.

Nico sighed, deciding it was time to change the topic.

"So, anyways, what are you two going to do tomorrow?" He asked casually and noticed Percy sniffing annoyed at him not being honest with him.

"I was thinking I would just spend the day catching up with Leo. We didn't really get around to talk much the two times I saw him." Jason answered instantly and grinned broadly at Nico.

Nico blinked and nodded quietly.

"Sounds like a plan. And you, Percy?"

"Hm. Probably gonna train."

"Really? Well, if you want to. Don't overdo it, though."

"Of course not. If I get sore muscles, I won't be able to kick Will's butt."

"Seriously, what is it with you and Will? Nico, tell me, did I miss something in the forest?"

"Nothing happened. Damn it, why do you both care so much, anyways? I'm a grown guy. I can take care of myself. And anyways, he's Will, and he's my friend. What's he gonna do?"

There was silence.

"Exactly." Nico muttered and walked towards his cabin quickly.

He watched the other two exchange glances out of the corner of his eye, but ignored them.

"Well, goodnight, Nico." Jason said as they dropped him off.

"Night, you two. Sleep well."

"Don't forget to put your pyjama pants on." Percy added and Nico turned around to glare at him, but he only chuckled and waved.

Nico rolled his eyes and went inside.


	9. Day 8: 8th of December

**Day 8: Monday, 8th of December**

Will came to pick him up at 8am.

Nico, not knowing when to expect him, had been up since 6:30am in the morning, wondering what they were going to do.  
It might have been a good idea to ask him beforehand.

Then again, the card and gift of the day had kept him occupied for the whole time, anyways.

 

[ _Dear Nico,_

 _I hope you enjoyed the IM-ing device._  
_I thought it would come in handy for your talks with Reyna and your sister._

 _You always try to solve everything by yourself._  
_I admire your strength and persistence, but I also worry about you._  
_I wish you would let me take care of you._

 _I love you, Nico, I really do._  
_I would love to stroll around the Camp with you, just you and me, holding hands._

_I'm usually not a romantic type of person, but I'd do all that and even more, if only to show everybody around us that you're mine._

_I hope you like today's gift._

_Have a nice 8th day of December, Nico._

_I love you,_  
_Your secret Admirer_ ]

 

' _I wish you would let me take care of you_.'

Nico didn't know how he felt about it.

Partly he was annoyed that his admirer treated him as if he needed protection.  
But at the same time, a pretty big part of him was actually glad.  
As if he actually wanted to have somebody to take care of him.

Like when he had been sick.

Maybe not all the time, he didn't want to get pampered or anything.

But just somebody who'd look after him, who'd…take care of him.  
Protect him from such confusion such as yesterday.

' _I would love to stroll around the Camp with you, just you and me, holding hands_.'

He felt himself blushing.

Seriously, in one note that guy wrote he wanted to do him, in another he wanted to run around the camp like a teeny-couple in love.

He loved it.

' _I'm usually not a romantic type of person, but I'd do all that and even more, if only to show_

 _everybody around us that you're mine_.'

He'd…actually really like that.

He admitted he had worried for quite a while about what others might think when they found out.

But ever since the war against Gaea and his decision to stay, it hadn't really mattered that much anymore.

His friends knew, and they didn't mind whatsoever.

So, why would he?

Of course, it would be weird, but this admirer seemed utterly fine with it, so why wouldn't he be?

He watched Will intently staring at the gift of the day.

A snow globe.  
But not just any snow globe.  
It had Venice in it – Nico's birthplace.

He didn't even know such a thing existed. It wasn't exactly snowy or anything in Italy after all.

By the looks of it, it looked either really rare and hard to come by, or custom-made.

In both cases, it once more showed how much the person actually thought of Nico and what might be to his liking.

He admitted, looking at the snow globe didn't make him overly joyful.

After all, he mostly thought back to his mother and sister when he thought of Italy.

But that was okay. He knew the person didn't mean it bad.

And he kind of got the message.

One shouldn't dwell on the past, forgetting the here and now.  
But one should always think back and learn from past mistakes, forgive old enemies, remember the good old times and laugh about old jokes.

Because after all, he also had plenty of good memories of his sister and mother (though not so many of his mother).

"It's so pretty." Will muttered, mesmerized.

Nico chuckled. "Indeed, it is. So what will we be doing today?"

Will grinned around at him. "So eager to get started on our date?"

Nico blushed. "Date? Really?"

Will just shrugged and winked at him. "You know you want it. Okay, let's get going, then. I'm first going to take you to breakfast and we'll be sitting alone, I can tell you that. After that, how about a nice stroll through the forest? I actually found a really nice place further in, at the side of the lake. It's really beautiful there and there won't be any people around."

The thought of being mostly alone with Will and in the forest to boot made Nico a little squeamish inside, bringing back the memory of yesterday's almost-kiss.

But he had promised.

Plus, it wasn't as if he was completely _against_ it or anything.

"Sure, can I bring my camera?"

"Absolutely! I insist on it." Will replied and Nico nodded, getting ready to leave.

He gave his snow globe a last shake, watching the small 'snowflakes' fall onto Venice.

Then he smiled and walked towards the door, where Will was already waiting, smiling at him fondly.

***

Nico was glad there weren't that many people around at breakfast.

He couldn't see Jason and Percy anywhere, so he guessed they were still sleeping.

He was kind of relieved about that, because it meant he didn't have to send them away in case if they had tried to come and sit with them.

They chatted about this and that, Will telling him about how he had been claimed by his dad a while after arriving at Camp Half-Blood and started up his healer-education, since it was pretty clear from the very beginning he was meant to be a healer, thanks to his lack of ability in the other regards.

He also absent-mindedly fed Nico, which had first made him squirm away in surprise, though he had soon gotten used to it, and Will's dazzling smile had made it more than worth it, too.

All in all, he had rather enjoyed himself, to be honest.

After breakfast, Will took him by the hand (something he was quite sensitive about, as well, since they weren't dating) and pulled him out of the dining pavilion, strolling through the Camp with him leisurely, though Nico did end up pulling his hand away.

Will had only looked at him oddly for a moment, but had accepted it, nevertheless.

So, now, here they were, slowly walking towards the forest.

"I got us a really awesome thermo-blanket that will keep us dry. It's going to be like a picnic.

Hope you like picnics." Will said and Nico shrugged.

"Can't really remember having one."

"What? No picnics? Unbelievable. You definitely have to spend more time with me, Neeks, so we can catch up on that. Doctor's orders." He winked at him.

Nico only smiled and shook his head.

They walked quietly for a bit, then Will took Nico's hand again as they entered the forest.

"You got pretty cold hands, Neeks. Let me warm them for you." He said quietly when Nico tried to pull his hand away.

He hesitated, then sighed and let him keep his hand.

"Don't you like it?" Will asked him, mustering him from the side.

Nico shrugged. "It's…not bad, I suppose."

Will smirked at him. "You don't like admitting to your feelings, do you?"

Nico felt his face warm and grimaced.

Will held up his hands defensively, pulling Nico's hand with him.

"It's okay. I like you this way."

That made Nico's face warm even more, though Will luckily didn't seem to notice as he watched where they were going with a fond smile on his face.

They walked on and on.

Nico was glad he had quite a good sense of direction, else he would have thought Will was trying to get them lost.  
But they really walked around the lake until they came to a small clearing.

In fact, Nico would have completely missed it if Will hadn't pointed it out to him.

"What do you think?" He asked, showing Nico the rather private, isolated clearing with a small piece of frozen shore to it, but otherwise completely surrounded by trees and bushes.

It was really pretty.

He pulled out his camera and started taking a few pictures.

"Percy would totally love it." He blurted.

Will scowled. "No talking about Percy or Jason, Nico. You're mine today."

Nico looked away, his ears hot.

Why did Will have to say things like that?

The blonde let go of his hand – much to his dismay, though he'd never say it out loud – and began searching through his backpack, pulling out the thermo-blanket he had talked about, as well as another blanket and some drinks and food.

He put everything down and grinned at Nico.

"Good?"

Nico chuckled and shrugged. "I suppose?"

He had no idea how picnics and the like were supposed to go.

How was he supposed to know?

Will rolled his eyes, still grinning, and motioned for him to come over.

"Just sit down. I'll wrap the blanket around us. In case we get bored, I also got a radio and a portable TV, so we can always retort to that."

Nico blinked.

It seemed like Will had actually given this quite some thought.

Given the fact that he had only decided last night to do this today, he either must have had that idea for a while already, or just randomly come up with it.

Will seemed to be reading his mind.

"I admit, I wanted to do this for ages already. But the setting was never perfect enough."

Nico didn't know what to say to that.

He didn't even know why, but the way Will said it made him all warm and fuzzy inside, though there was _no_ reason for him to feel that way right now.

He awkwardly sat down on the blanket, surprised that it really kept him dry from the snow.

Then Will chuckled and sat down right next to him.

Really, _really_ close next to him.

As he wrapped the blanket around them, he kept his arm around Nico while he was at it, too.

Nico felt himself stiffen and hoped Will didn't notice.  
He did, of course, and instantly looked around at him, seemingly looking for a sign whether this was okay or not.

Nico started fidgeting.

Will huffed out a small laugh and began moving backwards towards a tree, motioning for Nico to follow.

"Relax, Nico. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to." He muttered, while repositioning himself against the tree, patting at the space between his legs.

"Come here. This way, the blanket will fit around us better and keep us warmer."

Why did it feel as if Will was just making up excuses?

Nico shook his head.

It kind of made sense with the blanket and all, so yeah, it was probably just him overthinking things.

He positioned himself between Will's legs, noticing the heat radiating from the blonde, warming him more than any blanket could.

He couldn't suppress a small sigh as he ever so slightly leaned back against Will.

The blonde let out an amused chuckle.

"Really? It's not like I'm made of sugar. Lean against me, Neeks." He insisted, before wrapping his arms around Nico beneath the blanket and pulling him against him properly.

Nico shivered slightly, but didn't squirm away, instead trying to relax.

This was really a beautiful place.

And Will sure was comfortable.

He felt Will resting his chin on top of his head and tried to hold extra still.

Will only chuckled and kissed the top of his head. "Always so considerate. Just relax. Closing your eyes might help."

Nico turned his head slightly to look at him.

He smirked at him broadly.

Nico only frowned slightly, wondering if he was planning anything.

Then Will's arms pulled him even closer, pressing their bodies together as Will began singing softly.

It was a really nice song.

Of course, it was really just a song, meant to help Nico relax.

It didn't actually put him to sleep or make him do stupid stuff or anything.

But it was still a nice song, and it put him at ease, even without the use of Will's medic powers.

He sighed, feeling how he slowly relaxed against Will, the warmth of his body slowly spreading through Nico's, as well.

It sure felt nice.

He let his head fall back against Will's chest, looking up at the sky between the leafless treetops.

It was a beautiful sight.

***

They managed to talk for a while, though Nico had the habit of trying to turn his head whenever Will said anything, just to then look away quickly since they were so close together.

They did retort to the radio at one point, which led to Will actually singing some of the songs they played, making Nico all flustered whenever it happened to be a love song.

Seriously, that son of Apollo.

He even tried to get Nico to sing along, but Nico didn't. He couldn't sing and he didn't even know a third of the songs that played.

But he _had_ to admit it was quite funny and he actually smiled a lot more than he'd have expected.

Especially since he couldn't get out of Will's embrace whatsoever.

He would have guessed he'd be a lot more awkward around him, but Will kept him so occupied, he soon found himself getting used to the warm body behind him, actually leaning against him by himself, instead of needing Will to pull him closer.

Just spending time with him like this felt…different.

Almost like an actual date.

Especially when Will decided to try and feed Nico again and they both laughed at their failed attempts, since Will then urged Nico to return the favor as well.

Though it really was fun.

Needless to say, Nico fell asleep sometime in the middle.

It had simply been too comfortable.

When he awoke again, Nico realized he must have turned in his sleep, since he was now laying with his face against Will's chest, his hand clutching his shirt as if he was scared Will would disappear any moment.

But Will only gazed down at him softly.

"Well, hello there, sunshine." He said in a quiet, gentle voice, making Nico's heart beat faster.

He blinked and tried to move away, but Will's arms kept him in place.

"You can stay like that, Nico. I don't mind, at all. You can also fall back asleep if you want. I enjoy watching you sleep."

Nico blushed but stayed, though there went his relaxation.

He looked off into the distance. Was it his imagination or was the sun already slowly starting to set?

"How long was I out?" He asked, frowning and Will chuckled.

"A few hours? I have to admit, that admirer of yours is completely right. You have the most

adorable sleeping face. You looked so peaceful."

Nico felt his ears reddening and tried to pull back again.

This time, Will let him, chuckling and watching him amused.

"A few hours? You should have woken me. This was supposed to be a day I spend with you alone and all…" He muttered, clearly upset.

Though at himself.

How could he have done something like that?

Will grinned and shook his head. "Nico, it's alright. I loved it. As I said, I enjoy watching you

sleep."

Nico hesitated, unsure what to say or do.

"Aww, come here, Neeks. Just forget everything for a while. Here, there's only you and me. Be yourself. Relax."

Nico's ears felt even hotter.

He still didn't move.

Will stuck out his bottom lip.

"Snuggles are good for your health. If I were you, I'd come cuddle before another cold thinks you're the perfect target."

Nico made a face but actually moved, slowly and cautiously crawling back between Will's spread legs, facing him.

He did consider turning away again, but that seemed mean towards Will.

Will beamed down at him.

"Are you hungry or anything? Or do you need something to drink?" He asked belatedly, and Nico blinked.

"Erm…"

"Of course you do. Wait a second." Will said and grabbed for something out of Nico's field of vision next to them.

Then, Will held up a bottle of water and some sandwiches in a box.

"Here we go." He said with a nod, passing the water to Nico first.

Nico drank a bit, careful not to spill anything over Will, which only made him huff out a small laugh and gaze at him affectionately, brushing a strand of hair out of his face gently.

When Nico passed back the water bottle, he was surprised to find Will drinking from it as well.

That was pretty much like indirect kissing, right?

He scolded himself.

He _really_ shouldn't think like that.

Will smirked at him.

Then he pulled him closer again with one arm, while holding up a sandwich with his free hand.

"Say 'Ah'." He declared, and Nico flushed, shaking his head.

Not again.

And this was a sandwich, too.

Nobody fed people sandwiches!

"Yes." Will insisted with a cheeky grin, and Nico knew he wouldn't be able to refuse him.

He opened his mouth ever so slightly, looking at him rather embarrassed.

Will grinned broadly.

"Come on, open up." He teased, pushing the sandwich against his lips slightly.

Nico tentatively took a bite.

"That was one small bite, Neeks." Will commented wryly and bit off a piece, himself.

Were they seriously _sharing_ a _sandwich_?!

Nico really didn't know what to think.

This really did feel like a date.

Will held the sandwich in front of his face again and he took another bite, noticing how Will made him inch a bit further upwards.  
Probably just his imagination.

The game continued.

Will took a bite, Nico took a bite, Will took another bite, Nico had to take another bite.

And then, all of a sudden, he was level to level with Will's face.

The blonde smirked, looking him straight in the eyes.

What did that expression mean?  
Nico had no idea, whatsoever.

Then he saw Will's gaze travelling lower, to his lips, his arms wrapping around Nico tightly.

Nico's eyes widened slightly, and, suddenly, his mouth felt like sandpaper.

Will inched closer, one of his hands moving from Nico's back to the back of his head slowly.

Nico swallowed. Hard.

"W-Will…?" He muttered, though he wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Shh…" Will replied, their lips only inches apart.

Nico blinked at the way Will closed his eyes.

Was this…?  
Were they going to…?  
Was he okay with this?  
Did he want this?

His gaze hushed over Will's face.  
Their lips were so close now, he could practically feel the heat of them on his own lips already.

He found himself closing his eyes.

Yes, he did want this.  
He really did.

 _Just one kiss_ , he told himself.

Their lips touched.

Gods, somebody should stop those butterflies.

Will's lips were warm and soft and gentle, pressing slightly onto Nico's, not wishing to push it too far.  
Nico sighed inwardly, relaxing against Will and feeling the hand on the back of his head pulling him closer into the kiss slowly.

Gods, it felt so good.

Will seemed to practically grin into the kiss.

When he started to nibble softly on Nico's bottom lip, Nico hesitated and pulled back.

It might not have been his first kiss (though Will didn't need to know that), but he had never really French kissed before.

Nico noticed how Will was practically glowing, smiling at him with that odd expression.

He felt his face warming and wondered faintly how stupid he had to look right now.

But Will only smiled at him affectionately.

"You're so adorable, Nico."

Nico's insides felt like Jell-O.

Then, he blinked.

Slowly, everything sunk in.

He had just kissed Will.

Will.  
His friend.  
His (probably) straight friend.

He blinked again.

Uh…not good.  
Not good at all.

Why did he let that happen?!

He pulled back.

Will seemed to notice. "Nico…"

Nico opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again due to a loss for words.

Then he jumped up.

"I…we shouldn't have done that." He muttered, shocked.

Will got up as well, reaching out for him, but he pulled back.

"Nico, really…" He started, but Nico stepped backwards.

"We _really_ shouldn't have done that…"

"Why not?"

"I…Will, I can't…I can't just do things like _that_ to you when you're…my friend…"

"Nico, you do know _I_ initiated that kiss, right? It's not like you forced yourself onto me or anything." Will said with a frown as he took another step towards him.

He wanted to say more, but Nico shook his head wildly.

"I shouldn't have let you do it, then! I…I'm sorry. I can't do that. I can't…no…" He muttered, not even sure what he wanted to say, himself.

Then he turned around and ran for it.

" _Nico_!" Will called after him, but Nico was already gone.

He raced out of the forest and into his cabin, instantly locking all doors and windows and even hiding his spare key, barricading himself in his room and hiding beneath his blanket.

He had destroyed _everything_!

Will might be okay with doing stuff like that when they were friends, but Nico _certainly_ wasn't.

He touched his lips slightly and instantly remembered the feeling of Will's warm, soft lips on them.

He curled into a ball.

This was horrible.

He didn't know why Will had done it.

Maybe Nico had done something to initiate him initiating it?

He didn't know.  
But he knew he could have stopped it.

Damn it all.

Why had he let him kiss him?

He pulled Mrs. O'Leary Jr. tighter to him.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

What if Will _was_ actually the admirer?  
What if he did like Nico?

No.

That was absurd.

Will might have initiated the kiss, but he had never said anything like 'I like you'.

At least not in a not-joking way.

Nico pressed the plushie closed against him.

This was really, _really_ horrible.

His mind flashed to Percy and Jason.

What would they say if they knew?  
Would they be worried Nico would kiss _them_ , too?  
He didn't want to think about it.

He could only hope nobody had seen Will and him.

He would have to apologize tomorrow.

Definitely.

Though he didn't know how he could get across that he didn't mean to hurt his feelings but that he couldn't do stuff like that while just being friends.

If that had been his first kiss…

"Don't think of that now, it's better if you forget that fast." He muttered to himself quietly.

He was never ever going to tell anybody about his first kiss.

So, he might as well better stop thinking about it.

He snuggled with the plushie and slowly started drifting off to sleep, remembering how Will had sung for him to relax, trying to make this a really good day for both of them.

Will was such a good guy.

And Nico had destroyed everything.


	10. Day 9: 9th of December

**Day 9: Tuesday, 9th of December**

When he woke up the next morning, the guilt instantly came washing back over him.

Nico turned sideways, the Mrs. O'Leary plushie pressed tightly against him.  
It gave him some comfort.  
Now he wondered how he could have ever slept without it, in the first place.

He sighed and let his gaze travel through the still dark cabin.

He pulled her tighter, not liking the darkness much – which was stupid, since he was the _Ghost King_ , he practically _was_ the darkness.

Nico sighed again, his eyes wandering over to his bedside table.

Oh.

A smile tugged at his lips.

His admirer had been here again.

It still surprised him how the thought of a mysterious person in his cabin in the middle of the night didn't freak him out half as much as it probably should.  
But he found himself trusting that person.  
He hadn't done anything to Nico so far, after all.

(Nothing he knew of, at least.)

Instead, he had treated him like something precious, loved.

He slowly pushed himself up and examined the little bag of candy.  
He half expected it to hold the same candy as last time, but was surprised to find it didn't.

It was a completely different assortment.

He smiled and pulled it closer curiously, looking through the cellophane.  
In the darkness, he couldn't really tell what was what, but he did recognize some Mint Rocks, Winter Nips and Stem Ginger pieces.

He looked back at his bedside table for the card and took it gingerly.

Maybe he really should turn on the lights.

He squinted at the note.

 

[ _Dear Nico,_

_I hope you liked the Snow Globe._   
_Sorry if you thought it lame or something, I just thought it was a nice idea._

_I know it won't only bring back good memories, but I hope you'll realize what I meant to say._

_I love you, Nico._   
_I love you and I want to be there for you._   
_I want to hold you and make you feel at peace._   
_I want to wrap my arms around you and keep you safe from anything that might upset you._

_Let me be there for you, Nico._

_I hope you'll like today's gift._

_I wish I could do more for you._

_Have a nice 9th day of December, Nico._

_I love you,_   
_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: You thrashed around in your sleep when I got there, so I sat down at your side and tried to calm you for a bit. I hope you're feeling better now._ ]

 

Nico let his head flop back into the pillow.

His insides were all fuzzy.

He really didn't know what to make of his admirer.

One time, he seemed pushy, another time so considerate.

He thought of his friends.  
Which made him think of Will.  
Which immediately made him feel bad.

He knew Will had initiated the kiss, but it still felt like it was his fault.

But why did he really mind that much?  
If Will had started the kiss, he must have wanted it, too.

He might not know why he would, but shouldn't that alone already relax Nico?

Shouldn't he just go about it as usual?  
But what was 'as usual'?

Did something between them change now?  
He knew they weren't dating, that was certain.

But were they still just friends?  
Did kissing count to something friends would do?

He highly doubted it.  
Not for guys, at least.  
They usually were too worried about being labelled gay.

But Will hadn't even looked around to make sure nobody was watching.

Did he simply not care?  
Did he…did he maybe like Nico?

Nico shook his head wildly.

It had probably just been some sort of 'heat of the moment' thing.

Nico groaned loudly and pushed his face into the pillow.

A loud knock came on the door.

"Nico? Are you okay?" Percy's voice came worriedly from the door.

Nico groaned again and pushed himself up to drag himself to the door, unlocking it the three times he had locked it and opening it a gap.

(Which momentarily made him wonder how his admirer had gotten in, in the first place, though he pushed the thought aside for now.)

Originally, he had every intention to tell Percy to leave him alone and go away.

But as soon as the door was open that tiny little bit, Percy pushed himself inside and wrapped his arms around Nico, making him stumble backwards.

"Nico! Is everything alright? Did something happen? I heard noises." He asked, pushing Nico away an arm length and looking him up and down.

Nico looked at him incredulous. "I'm fine. I was just sleeping."

Percy eyed him quizzically.

Then he sighed.

"Okay, if you say so. So, how did it go yesterday with Will? What did you guys do?"

Nico blushed and began fidgeting.

Not a good idea.

"Erm…we…" He muttered, turning away and trying to casually walk back to his bed.

Though then he decided to rather turn to his closet and grab a set of clothes, noticing how he was only wearing pyjama pants and feeling self-conscious slightly.

"We went to a pretty nice spot at the lake. You should check it out sometime, it's really nice there." He said, forcing his voice out calmly.

"Really? What did you do there?"

"By the gods, Percy, why do you want to know so badly?" Nico muttered, pulling out his clothes and trying to push down the heat creeping into his face.

For a moment, there was silence.  
Then Percy was behind him, turning him around and grabbing his chin, urging him to look him in the eye.

"Did he do something, Nico?" He asked, his voice deadly quiet.

Nico's gaze hushed down to Percy's lips.  
He squirmed away.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about. We just had a picnic, that's all."

Percy let him pull away, though he still stood there, his hand raised as if waiting for Nico to come back and put his chin back there, looking after him with a sorrowful expression.

Nico walked over to the bed, pulling on his sweater and dropping his other clothes on the side of the bed, flopping down onto it and pulling out the bag of sweets.

"Want one?" He asked, trying to change the topic.

Percy still gazed at him worriedly, but came over to him, anyways, sitting down unnecessarily close and looking at the bag of candy in Nico's hands.

"Candy, again?"

"It's different ones. You'd be surprised how many different types of candy there are."

"Tell me about it. My mom worked in a candy shop, after all."

"True, you did say that. How's she doing?"

"Quite well, I suppose. I talked to her not too long ago about Christmas and whatnot."

"Oh, yeah…true…" Nico muttered, shuffling.

True, Percy was most likely going to celebrate Christmas with his family.

"Yeah, she was quite surprised at my decision at first, but she said she understands. She's amazing like that."

Nico frowned. "What decision?"

"Well, I'll be spending Christmas with you guys, won't I? Already got everything settled that I'll be leaving with you and Jason on Tuesday for Camp Jupiter. Didn't I tell you yet?"

Nico stared at him. "You…you are?"

Percy frowned. "Of course. Why do you sound so surprised?"

Nico blinked. "I…nothing…" Nico muttered, then grabbed the note.

"Want to read it?" He asked.

It felt weird, offering the card up like that.

Percy grinned at him and took it carefully.

"You really like that admirer, don't you?"

"What? I…I suppose I don't mind…"

"Aww, Nico, come on. You can just admit to it, really. I can tell by the way you treat everything he makes for you with so much care and affection. I mean, you even keep them all in the correct order in your drawer."

Nico flushed and looked away.

How did Percy know that?! Nico thought he had made sure not to let the guys see that.

Percy wrapped his arms around him from the side.

"It's okay, Neeks. Nothing wrong with that."

And thus, he started reading the note right next to Nico's face.

"You were thrashing around in your sleep? Did you have a nightmare?" Percy asked after a while, passing back the note to Nico, who took it quietly and put it into his drawer, though he tried to do it in an as indifferent and uncaring way as possible.

When the card fell _next_ to the envelope, though, he had to grit his teeth and resist the urge to pick it up and put it in its proper place – instead, he forced the drawer shut and told himself he'd do it _later_.

"I guess." He muttered, not really wanting to talk about it.

Percy raised an eyebrow, then put his chin on Nico's shoulder.

"Nico…"

"Hm?"

"What would you like to do on Monday? I thought I would ask you first before making any plans."

Nico hesitated.

Then he turned his head ever so slightly, looking into Percy's face.  
He gazed at him so intently with those sea-green eyes.

Nico gulped. "Erm…I don't know. Anything you want, really."

"I want it to be better than what Will did."

Nico smiled, but then he thought of the kiss and stopped.

"Percy, this isn't some sort of contest, you know? Plus, I always enjoy spending time with you."

"Hm…yeah, okay. Then I'll think of something nice. But…Nico?"

"Yes, Percy?"

Percy pulled back and placed a soft kiss on Nico's shoulder.

Even through the sweater, Nico could feel his skin tingle at the spot.

"If anything is troubling you, anything at all, please tell me, okay? I want to be there for you. I really do."

Nico didn't look at him, instead intently staring at the ground.

Then he nodded slowly.

"I…I know, Percy." He muttered.

Percy smiled at him.

"So, and now, what's that yellow-ish stuff there?" He then asked and Nico chuckled, opening the bag of candy.

"Crystallized stem ginger." He said and passed one to Percy.

"Ginger? Really?"

"Don't sound so distasteful, it's actually quite good. Plus, ginger is good for…erm…your health."

Percy raised an eyebrow.

Nico looked away. He had been about to say ginger was good for potency, but he decided he rather didn't point that out.

The dark-haired hero shrugged and popped it in his mouth.

Nico fished out a Winter Nip and they grinned at each other.

***

Jason and Will joined the candy-devouring soon after.

At first, Will had stood in the doorway, seemingly uncertain as to how to approach Nico.  
Which had been Nico's problem as well, standing next to the door and looking at him, wondering what to do now.

But then, Nico had held out the bag of sweets, and Will had taken a piece of licorice with a tentative smile.

Percy had interrupted their mute conversation though by stepping between them and making a show of taking a few pieces of candy out.  
Which Nico was inwardly grateful for, since he had absolutely _no idea_ what to do.

Since then, Nico and Will might not have talked much, but they at least weren't as awkward around each other as Nico had feared.

Though Nico noticed that Will really waited for a chance to talk to him alone.

Somehow, Percy and Jason must have noticed, too, because they decided to _not_ give them any moment by themselves, whatsoever.

Another thing Nico was inwardly grateful for.

He really didn't know how to deal with this situation.

He also definitely didn't want to think about what Will was going to say.

"I brought your camera, by the way." Will mentioned quietly while they all sat together on the floor in front of the open fireplace and played another round of poker (instead of chips, they used candy, which was really pathetic).

Nico stiffened slightly, but Jason and Percy instantly perked up.

"Really? Let's see some pictures." Percy piped up and Nico made a face, looking away.

It was okay.

He hadn't taken any pictures of anything nobody was meant to see.  
Nothing had really happened.  
Other than the kiss, of course.

He came closer as well, letting Will operate the camera and settling for looking over his shoulder.

Will turned his face slightly towards him and shot him an uncertain gaze.  
Nico only stared intently at the little screen.

They zapped through the pictures Nico and Will had taken at breakfast and when they had entered the clearing.

Nico relaxed, recognizing the last picture he had taken of the way the sun had made the snow shimmer so beautifully on the frozen lake from the clearing.

Right when he wanted to lean back and be glad this was over, Will pressed the 'Next' button, and new pictures came up.

They were of Nico.

The first few were at an awkward angle and showed Nico asleep in Will's arms, with a bit of Will on it as well, like an arm or his face right next to Nico's, grinning.  
Then Nico must have turned sideways.  
Then completely around.

There were _a lot_ of pictures with Nico just happily dozing off, hand on Will's shirt, a relaxed and rather peaceful expression on his face.

Nico's face flushed and he swallowed hard, not daring to meet anybody's gaze.

"Yeah, well, those are all." Will announced as he reached the last picture, showing a sleeping Nico and a broadly grinning Will, and he passed the camera to Nico, who quietly took it.

He could feel Percy's gaze on him, but didn't look around, instead accidentally meeting Jason's gaze.

He seemed to watch Nico, trying to deduce whether there was something wrong with him or not.

Nico tried for a tentative smile.

"Well, seemed to have been a nice and relaxing day." Jason said quietly and watched Nico's expression intently.

Nico kept it neutral.

"Yeah, it was pretty nice." He said and saw Will looking around at him surprised, but he decided to ignore that.

Instead, he got up and walked over to his bedside table, putting on his scarf.

"Are we going outside?" Jason asked with a frown.

"You guys did complain about wanting to train." Nico pointed out and put on his aviator's jacket.

Percy and Jason instantly jumped up.

"Yes!" They both exclaimed and hurried over to their jackets, as well.

Will hesitated for a moment, then got up as well, though he hung back slightly.

Nico knew that, if he wanted to, he could buy himself some time and let the other two run off to the arena and have his talk with Will.  
But he didn't know what to say.  
And he didn't know what Will would say.

And since he was a coward, he walked out the door first, having Jason and Percy next to him, instead of falling back to wait for Will.

Will wordlessly followed, closing Nico's cabin door quietly and then trailing after them on their way to the arena.

***

The arena wasn't very crowded.

Most of the campers were at the Camp Fire or built snowmen or had snowball fights.

Even Clarisse wasn't about.

Just some of the younger campers, trying their luck at some dummies.

Nico pulled out his Stygian Iron sword and turned around to the others.

He just really wanted to do something he actually _could_ do without blushing or freaking out.

Percy and Jason both raised their weapons.

"Wait, you can't both go against Nico alone!" Will complained, looking devastated.

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"What? Think they'll need backup?" He commented, making Will blink.

Percy laughed. "Will, don't worry. Jason and I used to train lots with Nico whenever you were stuck in the infirmary."

Will still looked hesitant.

Nico raised his eyebrows, practically daring him to say something.

Their kiss flashed through his mind, but he pushed it firmly away.

Now was not the time to think of that.  
Now was the time for fighting.

He went into his fighting stance.  
Jason and Percy mimicked him.  
Will stood at the side, still looking doubtful.

Nico nodded and both Percy and Jason rushed at him.

He blocked both their attacks with ease, memorizing the positions of the other kids around them as to not hurt them accidentally while he swung his sword around, narrowly missing Jason's shoulder as he barely managed to jump back.

Percy came from behind, but Nico easily evaded the attack, feigning to slice at Percy's left side just to then switch direction mid-blow.

Percy blocked the attack and counterattacked.  
Jason joined back in.

Nico fought them off with remarkable ease.

Of course, they weren't really trying to get to each other.

That stage usually only started after a whole day of attacking, blocking and counterattacking without ever hitting their mark, turning them sour and annoyed.

But usually, even then they were quite well-balanced.

If Nico had been able to use his powers, he would have easily managed to beat them both.

Especially with his shadow-travelling.

But, then again, that would also permit Jason and Percy to use their respective powers, which would most likely end in them all either drowning or getting blasted out of the sky by Zeus.

So, all in all, it was better this way.

Will's doubt was soon replaced by awe, gaping at their swordplay.

Nico grinned to himself.

And that dork had thought he needed help against these two.

The other kids in the arena stopped and watched them, fascinated.

Nico could even see some trying to mimic their blows.

He smiled, completely in his element.

This was awesome.  
He loved fighting.

Not the 'fighting' fighting, but the fighting type of fighting when you were just fighting.

Eww, that didn't even make any sense.  
Well, to him it did, but if he had said that out loud, people would have definitely stared at him, wondering if he was nuts.

He slashed at Jason, who tried to get to his side. Their swords clashed together and Percy came rushing at him from the side.

Uh oh.

Jason turned his sword as to keep Nico from being able to wield around and defend Percy's blow.

Out of instinct, Nico kicked Jason in the gut, sending him toppling backwards and he shot around at Percy, narrowly deflecting the blow.

Percy's sea-green eyes sparkled with defiance and challenge.

They started hacking away at each other, dancing across the field.  
Their eyes were solely fixed on each other.

Nico hadn't had a fight like this with Percy in what felt like forever.

He felt the way his heart beat faster not just because of the exercise.

He loved watching Percy's face like this.

He could go on forever.

The intensity in his gaze alone sent shivers down his back.

He narrowly blocked a blow to his shoulder and went for Percy's leg, forcing Percy to jump back, just to then rush at him once more.

They reached the other side of the arena and Nico found himself beheading dummies accidentally while trying to get at Percy.

Percy laughed heartily and swung his sword, cutting a dummy in two instead of Nico, who had jumped out of the way and switched stance as to get out of their corner.

Corners were never good.  
Corners meant Percy could…

Percy saw his chance and slashed at Nico as he had to step out of the way of some dummies.

Nico had to move back into the only direction he could – towards the wall.

_Damn it_.

Percy grinned victoriously and Nico frowned, wondering vaguely where Jason was.

That question was quickly answered when he felt a gust of wind behind him.

_Great_.

The hairs on his neck pricked up and he knew he only had a split second to react.

He did.

Launching himself sideways into the dummies, he heard the surprised sounds from Jason and Percy, who now barely managed to block each other's attacks and toppled over each other.

Nico rolled over and jumped back to his feet, raising his sword again to prepare for the next attack – just to stop.

Percy and Jason laid on the floor, trying to scramble up, but seeming too entangled to manage.

Nico couldn't help but laugh.

Will came hurrying over.

"That was _amazing_! I knew you were great and all, but, Nico, your fighting is unbelievable."

Nico flushed with pride and fluster and went to help Percy and Jason getting up.

"Aww, I almost had you there, Neeks." Percy pouted, nodding to the wall.

Nico winked. "Nah, I was going to let you think that and then evade at the last moment. You know me."

"Yeah, which is why I thought if I get Jason there, we could get you."

"Gotta try harder next time."

"Oh, trust me, I will."

They sized each other up for a moment, then Percy laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Hope that stunt with throwing yourself into dummies didn't hurt too bad."

"Nah, better than getting Jason's gladius stuck through my back."

"Fair point."

They chuckled and Jason shook his head.

He was about to say something, when a few younger campers came hurrying towards them.

"Can you teach us some of your moves?" One of the boys asked, looking at Nico with big eyes full of admiration.

Nico blinked.

Nobody ever asked _him_ to teach them anything.

It was usually Percy and Jason that everybody wanted.

He looked over to his friends, who grinned at him and gestured to go with it.

Nico looked back at the kids.

They all had their eyes completely fixed on him.

"Erm…sure. Show me what you already know and I'll look if I can show you some of my moves."

They instantly went to work, splitting into pairs without Nico needing to say anything, and in no time, they had started slashing at each other.

Somehow, the sight reminded him of Percy's freestyle slashing and he found himself smirking.

Then, he began showing them his stance and how to properly feign an attack, as well as some blocking methods that he usually used.

They were eager to learn, taking in the new knowledge like a sponge.

And, soon, it wasn't just them anymore.  
The group seemed to grow by the hour.

Jason and Percy now joined in, as well, helping some kids with their stances and explaining others how they usually fought.

Will was right beside Nico, sometimes halting him when he moved into a stance or attack and explaining to the kids that when bending like _this_ , it would keep you more flexible and your back cramp-free, while you should avoid moving like _that_ , because that would lead to muscle cramps and made you more vulnerable at that and that part.

He touched Nico as he talked, showing them what parts of their body they should especially protect and whatnot, but Nico also noticed he always left his hands on his body a tad too long, sometimes even doing a small sort of stroking motion.

He let him do it, though.

It didn't feel bad, and the kids were too occupied watching and copying the stances to really notice, anyways.

They thus spent the entire day in the arena, teaching newbs the basics and improving those that already knew a bit of fighting.

Nico loved it.

***

By evening, the kids were all completely beaten and exhausted, dragging themselves and each other to dinner to almost fall asleep at the table.

It was pretty endearing.

"We should do that more often." Percy said, grinning from his place next to Will, opposite to Jason and Nico.

"Don't you give classes usually, anyways?" Jason asked him, frowning.

Percy huffed out a small laugh.

"Yeah, but I'm not even half as good as Nico. Did you hear him talk? He really got a way with words and kids and pretty much anything." Percy said, smirking over to Nico, who blushed and chewed his pasta faster.

Percy's eyes widened.

"Blue pasta!" He exclaimed and launched over the table with his fork, stealing Nico's food.

"What the…" Jason muttered and shot away from Nico as Nico heroically tried to protect his dinner.

"No way! _Mine_!" He called and went for Percy's fork.

Will equally slid away further from Percy as he began climbing onto the bench and pushing himself over the table towards Nico more, who pulled his plate with him.

"Lemme try~!"

He managed to get a forkful, but Nico's head snapped forwards, his mouth closing around the fork and eating the noodles, himself.

Percy wailed, while Jason and Will snickered.

Then he fell back, pouting.

Gods, not his baby-seal-face again.

Nico put his plate back neatly on the table, raising his own fork to continue eating, but then he made the mistake of glancing over to Percy for a split second.

Percy looked at him with big, sea-green eyes that had never failed to make Nico weak in the knees, and certainly weren't failing now, either.

"Ugh, _fine_." He muttered, twirling some spaghetti onto his fork and holding it out to Percy, who beamed at him and took the offering only all too happily.

Nico noticed quietly how they had just shared forks twice.

He decided not to think about it.

"Mmh, they taste just like my mom makes them." Percy reminisced.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Well, I did have them at your place."

"You've been to his place?" Will asked and Nico noticed an odd type of undertone in his voice.

He blinked.

"Of course." Percy said with a rather dirty grin. "My mom loves him."

Nico blushed. "Percy, she barely knows me."

"Doesn't matter. Every time I see her and we talk a bit, she goes like 'So, how's Nico? Is he doing well? Is he eating?'. It's really quite annoying, but I know she means well. She simply cares."

Nico blinked at this revelation.

Sure, he had met Sally Jackson, but he had kind of expected her to not think much of him, since he was son of Hades and all.

She didn't have the best background story with Hades, after all.

Percy shrugged and stared down at his plate, then at Nico's. "Pizza for pasta?"

Nico rolled his eyes and they switched plates.

Will still looked oddly at them.

Jason snickered. "Can I try the pasta, too?"

Percy made a face, but nudged the plate towards Jason to let him try it, anyways.

"Mmh, not bad." He muttered, seeming impressed.

"Okay, that's it. Can I have a bite, as well?" Will gave in and made puppy eyes at Percy, who only eyed him warily with narrowed eyes.

Nico cleared his throat, taking a bite of the pizza he now had.

Percy made a face, but pushed the pasta over, nevertheless.

"Well, it's good, alright." Will praised, though he clearly wasn't happy about it.

Percy looked rather smug and dug in.

Nico only rolled his eyes and held out a slice of pizza to Jason, who had eyed it wistfully from next to Nico.

He grinned at him and took it.

"So, what are you having?" Percy asked, nodding towards Jason's plate.

"Roast chicken breast with mashed potatoes. Nothing spectacular, I fear." He said, ears turning rather pink.

Nico huffed and leaned over.

"Looks good."

Jason raised an eyebrow and took some meat and potato on his fork, holding it out to Nico

tentatively. "Want to try?"

Nico hesitated for a moment.

Fork-sharing with Jason, as well?

He shrugged and tried it.

"Hm, actually, not bad."

Percy stole a piece as well.

"Has some type of lemon-like taste to it though…but good…" He commented, making Will look over, as well.

"Are we seriously going to try each other's meals now?" He asked, taken aback.

They exchanged glances.

"Yup." "Yes." "Looks like it." All three of them said, and Will rolled his eyes.

Then he shrugged and tried Jason's meal, as well.

"Pizza?" Nico asked, holding out a slice of pizza to Will, who eyed it oddly for a moment, but

took it, nevertheless.

"And what are you having?" Percy asked, checking out Will's food.

Will chuckled.

"I'm the downer. Ratatouille."

"Eww, _vegetables_." Percy said, making a face, but Nico threw him an exasperated glance.

"But I'll try it, anyways." Percy added and nicked some of Will's meal, making him blink surprised.

Jason joined in, as well.

Will looked over at Nico and seemed uncertain for a moment.

Then, he cautiously picked up his fork and put some of the ratatouille on it, holding it up in front of Nico.

"W-Want some…?" He asked tentatively.

Nico had never actually heard him stutter like that.

He knew he had just shared forks with both Percy and Jason.

He also knew Will had noticed.

This was pretty much his try to determine whether they were good again or not.

Nico leaned forward.

"Sure." He muttered and took the bite.

Will seemed visibly relieved.

"Aww, cute. Why don't you four just get a room already?" Clarisse called in passing.

"Sure. Chris, care to join?" Will replied instantly and Clarisse shot them one of her deadliest glares.

Chris only snorted and put his arm around her, pulling her away from them before she could think about too many ways to skewer them.

Nico only shook his head.

"Really…" He muttered, but had no clue what to say, so he stuffed his mouth with pizza.

His friends grinned around at him.

Especially Will, who still breamed at him.

Nico still didn't know what to make of their kiss.

But for now, they seemed good.

And that was all that mattered right now.


	11. Day 10: 10th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I love your kind nature.  
> No matter if it's your friends or complete strangers, you'd always help anybody and everybody.  
> The way you looked so stunned at the kids that wanted to learn from you yesterday was both the cutest, yet also the saddest thing I've ever seen.  
> You, of all people, shouldn't have to be so surprised at being acknowledged for what you can do and who you are.  
> I hope you liked the candy.  
> There are so many different types I was worried I might not hit your taste.  
> I can't wait to see you today.  
> As it is, I can barely get myself to leave you each night.  
> I love you, Nico.  
> I love you so much.  
> Please be mine.  
> I hope you'll like today's gift.  
> It should be quite useful to you.  
> Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it quickly, I know you will.  
> You're amazing, after all.  
> Have a nice 10th day of December, Nico.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: Would you mind too much if you woke up one morning and found me lying next to you in bed?  
> Just joking, now I really AM creeping you out ;( '

**Day 10: Wednesday**

The next morning, Nico woke up at 2am in the morning as the door to his cabin closed.

He shot up.

What?

He looked to his bedside table and noticed a package and note that hadn't been there before.

His admirer!

Even though he didn't really want to know (Ok, that was a lie, he wanted to know BADLY, but was still scared to find out) he jumped out of bed and raced over to the window.  
But in the darkness he couldn't see a thing.

To think that if only he had woken five minutes sooner, he would have met him.

Solved the mystery.

The thought was both scary and thrilling.

He sighed and went back to the bed, turning on the lights on the way.  
There was no way he'd go back to sleep without checking out the note and gift right away.  
Not if he wanted any sleep at all.

He first took the note.  
Somehow, he always first wanted to read of his admirer.

A shy smile crept on his face as he touched the creamy white paper gently, feeling it beneath his fingertips.  
The ink looked quite fresh actually.  
So the person must have written this shortly before leaving.

Nico smiled fondly and then began reading.

Somehow, for these notes, his dyslexia didn't bother him that much anymore.

He rather enjoyed it.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I love your kind nature._

_No matter if it's your friends or complete strangers, you'd always help anybody and everybody._

_The way you looked so stunned at the kids that wanted to learn from you yesterday was both the cutest, yet also the saddest thing I've ever seen._

_You, of all people, shouldn't have to be so surprised at being acknowledged for what you can do and who you are._

_I hope you liked the candy._

_There are so many different types I was worried I might not hit your taste._

_I can't wait to see you today._

_As it is, I can barely get myself to leave you each night._

_I love you, Nico._

_I love you so much._

_Please be mine._

_I hope you'll like today's gift._

_It should be quite useful to you._

_Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it quickly, I know you will._

_You're amazing, after all._

_Have a nice 10th day of December, Nico._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: Would you mind too much if you woke up one morning and found me lying next to you in bed?_

_Just joking, now I really AM creeping you out ;( ]_

Nico chuckled.  
Really?  
By now, Nico seriously wouldn't mind.

He really wondered who it was, though.  
It couldn't be any of his friends. But at the same time, everything else indicated that.

Like when he had talked about Nico's pouting face. Or this time, with the kids.  
Nobody else Nico had actually known had been around, other than Will, Percy and Jason.

But could it actually be one of them?  
Nico usually tried to not think about it.

Of course, he wasn't very successful at it, but he had always stopped himself from thinking about it too much.  
Now he let his mind wander there willingly.  
How would it be if one of his friends liked him?  
Loved him?  
Not as friend or family, but as lover and boyfriend?

He shook his head.

But they were straight!  
Something shot through his head.

  
_'Sexual preferences can change, you know'_  
Percy had said that.

His heart missed a beat.  
And for a splint second, he tried to picture Percy being his admirer.  
Percy being the one who loved him.

He shook his head wildly.  
That was impossible.

First of all, Percy was straight and he would NEVER turn gay for Nico.

Ever.

Second of all, Percy would never come up with something like this.  
He wasn't the romantic type after all.  
He also would never actually sit down and write notes for him.  
Seriously, Percy hated writing as much as he hated reading.  
And Nico had never met somebody who hated reading more than Percy.

Nico sighed.

Also, Percy wouldn't have to do something like this.  
He had to have noticed Nico was still awkward around him.  
He had to have realized by now Nico wasn't really over him.

All he would have had to do is walk up to Nico and ask him out and Nico would have...well, he would have dropped dead on the spot, really, right after trying to slaughter Percy for making fun of his feelings and trying to save his dignity.  
But afterwards he would have actually dated him.

He looked over to the package.

It was a rather big package, but more as in long and square, not very high.

He thought of Jason.  
He was also straight.  
Jason was considerate of everybody and anybody, a really amazing person.  
His gentle and caring nature always calmed Nico.

What would it be like if Jason was his admirer?  
He felt his insides tingling and chuckled.

Yeah, sure.  
Jason wouldn't do something like that.

His thoughts travelled to Will.  
Instantly, their kiss came back to mind.

He blushed and grabbed the package.

There was no way Will was gay for him.  
He was simply a very open person.  
Also, he didn't seem like the type of person to actually go through so much trouble for somebody he barely knew.  
Even if they had gotten to know each other the past months, they were still working on finding out more about each other.  
Will wouldn't sit at his bedside writing love notes to him.

Just the thought was laughable.  
Which kind of depressed him.

Now he was back at step 1.

Who could his admirer be?

The package felt heavier than any of the ones before.  
He frowned and began unwrapping the pretty, red wrapping.

It was a laptop.

Not a big one, mind you, but a small one.

Nico had never actually held one of these so he was fairly surprised at how it felt.  
He put it on his lap and noticed there was something black attached to it, like a battery, exactly where the charger should be.

That looked a lot as if Leo had tempered with this.  
He hesitated, glancing at his wrist where his IM-ing-device was.  
He wouldn't be surprised if Leo had helped with that as well.

He still wanted to try that out with Reyna and his sister, but he knew they were busy this week, so he hadn't had a chance so far.

Maybe next week though.  
He really wanted to see them again.

Frank as well.  
He liked Frank.  
He was glad his sister had found such a good guy.

Plus, he knew how to play Mythomagic.  
Not that he played that game anymore.

He tentatively pressed the power button of his new laptop, wondering if he should really do this without his friends around.  
Then again, he rather embarrassed himself by himself than in front of all his friends.  
The little machine began buzzing quietly and the screen began flashing different digits and screens and ultimately came up with a start screen.

He stared at it.

Then he looked back at the package and pulled out a small wireless mouse.

Eh...?

He looked around at the laptop and noticed there was something small plugged in at the side.  
He turned the mouse around and found a switch.  
As soon as he flipped it, the cursor on the desktop moved around.

That admirer of his must have made sure everything was completely set up for Nico.

He smiled weakly.

That guy...whoever he was...he was really great...

*****

And then Nico spent the next hours until sunrise with clicking around on his desktop, finding the folder with pictures they had made on Leo's laptop and looking through the pictures again.  
He managed to connect his camera to the laptop, looking through the thousands of pictures they had taken.  
He deleted a few that had fingers on the lens or were too shaky to recognize anything, but couldn't make himself delete any of the others, even though a lot of them seemed almost identical.

He moved them all into his new photos folder, even managing to create sub-folders and sorting them by their date.

By the time it was 7:30am in the morning, he was feeling pretty pro at dealing with his laptop.  
He managed to open and close things without any problems, even opened the internet at some point but closed it soon afterwards because he had no idea what he'd do there anyways.  
Then he had looked through what else was on there and found a few games that he tried out.

It was actually quite fun.

Then it knocked on the door.

He yawned loudly.

Oops.

So much about going to bed right after he'd get done unwrapping his gift.

Jumping up, he walked over to the door and found Jason standing in front of him.

"Morning, Nico. Wait, I'm the first one here?"

Nico chuckled. "Looks like it. Look what I got.", he said and let him in, showing him over to the bed.

"Hey, sweet, a laptop. Your admirer really goes all out, huh?"

Nico grinned and passed him the note while closing some folders and games he had opened before going back to his now sorted pictures.  
Jason read the note quietly.

"I wonder what would happen if you wrote him a note in the evening saying 'Yes, please lay down next to me'. You think he'd do it?"

Nico chuckled at the thought and took the note from him, gently putting it to the others.

"Who knows. He'd probably reply something like 'I would love you but I can't...', because he promised he'd go through with this. Though I did almost see him today."

"You did?"

"Yeah, I woke up when he closed the door. But by the time I understood what was going on and was at the door he was already gone."

Jason chuckled. "And when was that?"

"At roughly 2am in the morning."

"Really? That's pretty early. I hope you got some sleep afterwards."

Nico fidgeted. "Actually...", he muttered and Jason's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you've been up all this time, Nico."

Nico put on an innocent face. "I have no clue what you're talking about...", he canted and Jason looked at him sternly.

With those glasses he sure did look adorable.  
Nico found himself adjusting them again.

Jason blinked but let him. "You always do that...", he muttered.

Nico smiled tentatively, pulling his hand back.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's some sort of reflex, I suppose."

"Oh, it's ok. I like it."

They grinned at each other.  
Then Nico showed him the pictures he sorted.  
Jason laughed.

"You stayed up all night to sort your photos?"

Nico blushed slightly but nodded.  
Jason inched closer, putting his arm around Nico to put his hand on Nico's hand on the mouse and move it together.  
They clicked through some pictures, Jason helping him decide on deleting some that were simply identical to others.  
Then they made another print-folder on the desktop for anything they might want to print out later.

"How's your photo album coming along, by the way?", Jason asked and Nico got out of his grip and climbed over him to get to the end of the bed, not being bothered to get up.

He leaned over the end of it, stretching himself to get to his photo album on the low wooden cupboard next to it.  
When he turned around, Jason's gaze hushed to his face, his expression guilty, making Nico wonder where exactly Jason had looked.  
There was a tinge of red on his cheeks, but Nico shrugged it off and came back, climbing over Jason again.

"Here.", he said, passing it to him.

He opened it, looking at a group picture of all of them, then the shots they had decided on with Nico and one of them each.  
Then other pictures followed.  
Jason turned the pages slowly and Nico noticed he actually read what Nico had written over and next to the pictures.

It had just been simple stuff like _'My best friends and me'_

_'Percy and me'_

_'Jason and me'_

_'Will and me'_

_'My favorite dorks'_ (A picture of Jason, Percy and Will alone, making stupid faces at the camera)

and _'My home'_

He saw Jason hesitating, staring at the title and the pictures of Camp Half-Blood they had printed out.  
Then he looked around at Nico and smiled.

Nico shrugged. "Well, it IS my home now, you know..."

Jason hugged him. "I'm glad.", he muttered, holding him tightly.

Nico chuckled and hugged him back.

*****

When the others came over, they were quite surprised to find Nico sitting on Jason's lap, both chuckling as they looked through pictures and found out how to open them in Paint, happily adding beards and weird forms to people or making it look as if Jason, Percy and Nico stared at a butterfly passing by as they had all looked into the same direction.  
They joined in the fun right after, even saving some of their works, though they all looked horrible.

It was quite a fun way to start the day.

Later, they went over to Leo to get some more pictures printed.  
There, they found him making out with Calypso, which ultimately resulted in Leo giving Nico a whole printer to himself with a pack of papers that they then had to carry through the entire camp back to his cabin.

Though it wasn't bad at all, especially since Nico now had his very own printer.  
They printed out tons of pictures, each of them wanting some for themselves as well, all of them admiring Nico's photo album.

While Will had only looked up at Nico surprised at the 'My home'-page, Percy had reacted similar to Jason.  
He had pushed the photo album towards Jason and jumped at Nico, wrapping his arms around him tightly while flopping back with him onto the bed, pressing their bodies together and not willing to let go.

Nico had loved it.

Though he had tried the whole time to get him off him, laughing and complaining.  
When Percy had indeed pulled back, Nico had found himself tugging at him slightly, not really wanting him to let go.

He wasn't sure whether Percy had noticed.  
He had looked at him oddly for a second, but then Will had shoved him aside and claimed that if everybody got to hug Nico, he'd have to do it too.  
Thus, he had let himself drop straight onto Nico, pushing himself between his legs and clinging onto him, flattening Nico and pressing their bodies tightly together.

Nico had desperately tried to get away, but then Will had begun to tickle him and Nico had found his legs wrapped around Will, grabbing hold of him like that and turning them, until, all of a sudden, to everybody's surprise (including his own), he had been on top of Will.

Then Jason and Percy had laughed loudly at Will's surprised face and then even harder as Nico then started to tickle Will.  
It had been pretty funny indeed.  
Tickling was much more fun than being tickled, to say the least.

And it felt good to actually prove a point.  
Will had stayed beneath him, looking up at him with that gleam in his eyes, making Nico all tingly inside.

Then Percy had suddenly grabbed him around the waist and pulled him off, pulling him over to the Snow Globe instead and asking what place it resembled.  
While Will loudly complained about liking Nico on top (which had made Nico blush furiously), Nico had only chuckled awkwardly and told Percy about how his admirer had given him the Snow Globe with Venice on the day he had spent with Will.

"How did you take it, though? I mean, doesn't that bring back bad memories?"

Nico hesitated. "It does, partly. But I mean, you can't always just think of the good stuff. Thus, you can't always just think of the bad stuff, either. It still hurts to think of my mother and Bianca, but at the same time, when I look at this globe, I think of the time we've had together and all the good moments we shared. And that's all that matters, doesn't it?"

Percy had only smiled at him then.  
There had been something in his eyes, guilt maybe, and Nico knew Percy still blamed himself for Bianca's death.

Nico had as well, after all.

But he knew it hadn't been Percy's fault.  
Bianca had decided to go into the autonom.  
He knew best how hardheaded she could get.  
She would have never let anybody change her mind.  
He had wanted to tell Percy that.  
Tell him he really didn't blame him anymore.

But Percy had only smiled at him and patted his shoulder before he could say anything and walked back to the others.

*****

The rest of the day, they went back to training the kids that hung around in the arena.  
This time, Percy and Jason had done most of the fighting and showing them stances and whatnot while Nico went through the arena, checking that the kids did everything right.  
They weren't really scared of him.

All in all, if anything, they seemed curious.  
Maybe it was simply because he was wearing his ponytail again and a Camp Half-Blood sweater instead of his usual all black clothing style.

Or maybe everybody had forgotten he was child of Hades.

"You're a child of Hades, right?", a boy, maybe roughly 11 years old, asked him meekly.

He blinked. Then he smirked. "Yep. You're from the Ares cabin, aren't you?"

He only knew by chance, really.

The boy made a face and looked down. "Yeah...but sometimes I wonder if they might not be wrong."

Nico tilted his head and crouched down. "How come? Don't you like being a child of Ares?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm not really into war. I find it stupid."

Nico chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Bill."

"Well, Bill. Just because your father is the god of war, doesn't mean you have to like war yourself. I know somebody, he's the son of Mars. He doesn't like war much himself either, and he's one of the best fighters I've yet met. Because he doesn't fight for the joy of it. But because he has people he wants to protect."

Bill looked at him wide eyed. "Really? He doesn't enjoy killing people and all?"

Nico shook his head. "He is one of the gentlest people I have ever met. Couldn't hurt a fly. But if there's something threatening his friends or anybody who needs his help, he would be the first to protect them with everything he got."

The boy seemed to think for a moment.

"You know...you don't really seem like a child of Hades...you're so nice...", he then muttered, though he didn't meet Nico's eyes, his gaze still cast downwards.

Nico chuckled. "That's because I'm my own person, Bill. You don't have to be what others expect you to be. Be yourself, and be proud of it."

Bill grinned up at him broadly.  
Nico smiled back and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Now get back to training, yeah? If I were you, I'd try out spear-fighting. I have a hunch you'd be pretty talented at it.", he then said and stood back up.

The boy looked around hastily and hurried off to get himself a spear.  
Nico chuckled and noticed Percy standing behind him, Riptide lazily leaning against his shoulder.  
He smiled at him fondly.

"What?", Nico asked, putting his neutral expression back on.

Percy only shook his head. "You're really something, Nico. You never stop to amaze me.", he muttered and grinned like an idiot.

Nico blinked and felt his ears turning red, but Percy only kept shaking his head and turned away again, correcting stances and showing kids how to do a wide-arced slash properly without falling over.  
Nico watched him for a while, then looked over to Will and Jason, who explained something about the different types of weapons to them.  
The kids were bound to know that already, but they still seemed fairly interested in whatever those two had to say.

Nico smiled and then went to check out the stances again, glancing at Bill out of the corner of his eye with a spear in his hand, getting a first feel of the new weapon.

And he thought of his admirer again.

A low sigh escaped his lips.  
He really wanted to know who it was.  
It had only been ten days, yet he found himself practically dying to find out just who that mysterious person was.

Maybe he also just wanted to really know it was all true.  
Of course, he knew nobody would make a game like this, especially none of his friends.

But it just seemed so unreal.

Somebody loving him so deeply without him ever noticing.

He only hoped he could love the person back like that as well.

Because that person was really worth it.


	12. Day 11: 11th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Have I ever told you how much I love your sleeping face?  
> You look like an angel.
> 
> You truly are a wonderful person and I enjoy every moment with you.  
> I admit, I haven't always thought of you as a boyfriend.  
> I was utterly oblivious to my feelings for a long time, actually.  
> It was like in that one saying, though I'm not very good with those.  
> I fell in love slowly, but then all at once, like falling asleep.  
> I think it went something like that.
> 
> Every time you laugh, smirk or smile, every time your lips even as much as twitch, I just feel so happy inside.  
> And I want to make you smile, smirk and laugh.  
> I want you to be happy.  
> I want to make you happy.
> 
> I hope you like today's gift.  
> Have a nice 11th day of December, Nico di Angelo.
> 
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer
> 
> P.s.: When I got here you were half hanging out of the bed, showing off those abs.  
> Seriously, I wonder if you subconsciously simply love driving me crazy with want.  
> Not that I really mind.'

**Day 11: Thursday**

Somehow, Nico must have fallen asleep while spending the evening with the others in his cabin.  
At least he found himself the wrong way around in his bed and his room a mess.

He checked the time.  
It was actually 9am in the morning.

How badly had he overslept?  
He looked at the bedside table which had somehow become a habit of his nowadays.

And there was the package and the note.

He smiled fondly and scrambled out of bed, picking up the note.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I hope you liked your laptop. It seems I was right, you did get the hang of it pretty quickly._

_Have I ever told you how much I love your sleeping face?_

_You look like an angel._

_But, given your last name, I shouldn't be surprised._

_You truly are a wonderful person and I enjoy every moment with you._

_I admit, I haven't always thought of you as a boyfriend._

_I was utterly oblivious to my feelings for a long time, actually._

_It was like in that one saying, though I'm not very good with those._

_I fell in love slowly, but then all at once, like falling asleep._

_I think it went something like that._

_As you can see I'm really not good with things like that, but I hope you know what I mean._

_Now I would never want to miss that feeling._

_It's completely different from anything I've ever felt for anybody before._

_Every time you laugh, smirk or smile, every time your lips even as much as twitch, I just feel so happy inside._

_And I want to make you smile, smirk and laugh._

_I want you to be happy._

_I want to make you happy._

_I hope you like today's gift._

_Have a nice 11th day of December, Nico di Angelo._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: When I got here you were half hanging out of the bed, showing off those abs._

_Seriously, I wonder if you subconsciously simply love driving me crazy with want._

_Not that I really mind.]_

Nico blushed, inwardly wondering how stupid it must have looked with him half dangling out the bed.  
How could anybody see something sexy in that?

Oh well.

He thought of the feelings his admirer had talked about.  
His heart fluttered.  
That was so nice.

He sighed happily, absent-mindedly pressing the note against his chest.  
He hastily put it in the drawer to the others.  
Smiling to himself, he grabbed the small package.

It felt odd.  
Soft, but with hard bits to it.

He decided to just open it instead of guessing its content.

As he carefully opened the wrapping paper, trying not to tear it (embarrassingly enough, he had kept all the wrapping paper and ribbons in a drawer next to the bed), a bracelet fell out.

But not one of those girly ones or anything.  
It was broad and out of black leather with studs on it.

He instantly liked it.

Putting it on his right wrist with one hand (he had his IM-ing device on the left wrist after all), he flexed and moved his arm, looking if it actually fit well enough to not fall off or something.  
It was a perfect fit.

He grinned to himself.  
His admirer sure had good taste, that much was certain.  
He took it off again cautiously and went to the bathroom, deciding to take a long hot shower, all the while grinning to himself like an idiot.

*****

When he came out half an hour later, only wearing a towel around his hips, he stopped dead as Percy and Jason stood in his room, looking around at him.

"Morning? We came to check whether you were awake yet.", Jason greeted, while Percy blinked and slowly looked him up and down.

Nico blushed and walked over to his wardrobe quickly.

"M-Morning. Yeah, I seem to have overslept.", he muttered, quickly pulling out his clothes and disappearing towards the bathroom again.

Seriously, who gave his friends permission to just walk into his cabin like that nowadays?  
Percy chuckled.

"So shy.", he said and Nico glared around at him, though his red face would give him away anyways.

"Percy, stop teasing him. If you want to see him naked, just tell him so.", Jason stated drily, rolling his eyes.

Both Percy and Nico flushed.

"I...what...uh, you're the worst!", Nico stammered and hurried off into the bathroom.

Percy only punched Jason in the side.

"Idiot...", he muttered and Nico could hear Jason laugh.

Those two.

He came out a few minutes later, just to then notice he had put his sweater on with the back as front.  
Percy found that very amusing, especially when Jason had grabbed Nico's sweater and pulled it off in one fluid motion, making Nico make a rather high-pitched sound in shock.  
But Nico had only grabbed his sweater and put it on the right way around, walking over to his bedside table disdainfully.

He tried to put on the stud bracelet the way he had earlier, but of course, it didn't work.

Stupid demo effect.

Jason helped him, carefully closing it around his wrist.

"Looks pretty good on you.", he commented, smiling at Nico.

"You think so?", Nico asked, looking rather fondly at it.

It did feel nice too.

Percy looked over. "Yeah, that looks really cool. Do you like it?"

Nico nodded quietly, fidgeting with his hands. "I just wish I knew who gives me all this stuff then I could actually say thanks...", he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

Percy and Jason chuckled.

"Didn't you say you don't want to find out before the 25th?", Percy reminded him and he made a face.

"So much about 'I don't care who it is'.", Jason teased and Nico scowled at them both.

Then he stuck out his tongue.  
Both acted absolutely shocked.

"Nico! Really, such bad behavior. I would have expected better of you.", Percy scolded, winking at him and thus destroying the lecture.

"Seriously, I would have never thought of you to treat your elders with such disrespect.", Jason said, shaking his head in mock shock.

Nico gaped. "What? Elders? I'm, like, over 80 years old! If anything, you should start showing some respect to me!"

There was silence for a moment.

Then they all three laughed and Jason ruffled through his hair affectionately. "I'll remember that, grandpa."

"Don't you dare, Jason. Don't even go there."

Percy started tickling him and next moment they were all on the floor with Nico's legs wrapped around Percy's waist, holding him where he was, trying to decide whether he wanted to pull him close enough to not be able to tickle him anymore or push him away to get a chance to scramble off the floor, while his hands were busy trying to swat Jason's hands away, who was behind him.

Percy was evil though and dropped his entire weight onto Nico, ultimately weakening his resistance and letting him fall onto him, just wrapping his legs around him without thinking.  
He was so busy fighting off Jason behind him that he didn't really notice how close Percy's body actually was to his until he turned his head and found Percy's face inches from his own.  
He blinked and tried to move away, but Percy's hands found his sides and tickled him again, making him squirm and laugh and somehow wrap his legs tighter around him.

Jason only laughed and looked at them bemused.  
Percy grinned down at Nico in a sort of content, yet hungry way.  
Nico had never seen him look like that.  
He still tried to escape, even though it was his legs wrapped around Percy, holding him tight.

Then Percy leaned ever so close over him, their lips almost touching.

"Nico...", he purred ever so quietly, making Nico shiver and, for a moment, he froze.

Percy pulled back, looking at him rather thoughtful for a moment before grinning again.

"I got you food by the way. You hungry?", he asked and got off him.

Nico blinked for a moment, then scrambled to his feet, shaking his head.  
He went over to the other two who were currently unfolding napkins containing toast and...

"Really? A brownie?", Nico asked, chuckling.

Jason shrugged. "Well, if you don't want it, I'll gladly have it, gramps."

Nico punched him playfully in the side. "Ha-ha. No, I'll have it, alright.", he said and grabbed the brownie, sticking it into his mouth so half still stood out.

"But if you want some we can share.", he tried to say.

Jason looked at him surprised for a moment.  
Then, to Nico's utter surprise, Percy came dashing into his field of vision.

"I'll take you up on that!", he called and next moment, Nico saw and felt Percy's face getting way too close, biting off part of the brownie.  
Their lips definitely brushed against each other.

Nico felt the heat rising in his face.  
Percy pulled back, chewing with a smug expression on his face, smirking down at Nico.  
Nico still stared at him, clearly flustered, now eating his own half of the brownie.

Jason laughed loudly. "Aw, man, Percy. He asked me, not you.", he scolded, but Percy only shrugged.

"You simply were too slow, mate."

Percy looked back towards Nico, a rather pleased expression on his face.

"By the way, the plan still stands to leave on Tuesday, right?", Jason asked and Nico was pulled out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, until now at least. I really hope Chiron lets us have the car. Else we've got a problem.", Percy replied.

"If you are talking about getting to Camp Jupiter, you know I can always ask Jules-Albert to drive us there."

They turned around at him.

"Your zombie chauffeur?", Jason asked.

Nico nodded.

"Cool. I'm in. I always wanted to be driven around by a zombie!", Percy called enthusiastically.

The door opened.

"Driven around by a zombie? Are you talking about Nico's chauffeur?", Will walked in.

Nico simply loved how they just walked into his cabin like that nowadays.  
Before he had invited them over on the 1st day of December, they had never been in here for more than maybe five minutes.

Though he really didn't mind.  
It made the whole place feel a hundred times warmer and livelier.

"Yeah, because of the drive to Camp Jupiter on the 23rd.", Jason told him and Will nodded, closing the door behind him and coming over.

"True, true. I've been wondering how we were going to get there in such a short amount of time."

"Wait, you're coming, too?", Nico asked, surprised.

Will frowned. "Of course. What did you think? That I'd let you go there by yourself with those two lechers. Somebody got to protect you after all."

Jason and Percy looked indignantly at him.

"Lechers? Says the person constantly molesting him!", Percy exclaimed.

"It's more us protecting him from you!", Jason corrected and Nico only blinked.

What?

"Molesting him? All we did was k-..."

Nico threw his shoe at his face (it had been the first thing in his reach...), breaking off whatever he was going to say.  
His face was flushed a dark shade of red.  
The others looked around surprised as Will went down.

"All of you, shut up. Why am I always the last to find out such stuff?", he said, though on the inside, everything was in turmoil.

Will had almost told them they had kissed.  
He had no idea how he felt about it.  
He didn't want them to think bad of him.  
He didn't want them to think he kissed with friends just for the hell of it.  
He didn't want to kiss his friends.

OK, he did, but he wanted to kiss them because they liked him that way and wanted to be with him that way.

But even next to that, his insides were fuming because of this whole situation.  
Which really wasn't a good mix.

But seriously, why was he always the last to find out about things like this?!  
And why had Will almost told them about their kiss?  
But why did nobody ever tell him things like this before?  
And why had he almost said that...

"Nico, you ok?", Jason asked, cautiously.

Will shook his head, scrambling off the floor. "Really?", he asked, holding up the shoe.

Percy looked at him worriedly and then looked back at Will.  
Nico's insides filled with dread.

He knew.

Nico knew that expression on Percy's face.  
He was usually not the brightest, but he had his moments.  
And right now seemed to have been such a moment.  
Nico wasn't sure whether he was upset, angry or hurt, nor did he know what or whom he was upset, angry or hurt at/about.

"First I'm thinking I'm going to Camp Jupiter alone, until Jason told me he'll be going, too. And everything is great. Then suddenly I find out that Percy has been planning all along to come with as well and I'm like ok, great, good that I know. But now you show up and also had it planned all along to come with, but none of you actually bothered telling me?!"

He wasn't even sure why he was complaining.  
What did it matter?  
If it was about Christmas gifts, he could still get those.  
And he was glad they all came with.  
He loved spending his time with them.  
Of course, sometimes they freaked him out and he blushed way too often, but still.

This whole talk...he didn't know where it was coming from.  
It sounded so self-centered and selfish.  
He shook his head, hiding his face in his hands.

What the hell was happening to him?  
For a moment, there was silence.

"I'm sorry, Nico. I should have told you.", Percy muttered quietly, tentatively taking a step towards him.

"Yeah, I completely forgot...sorry, Neeks...", Will got closer as well.

He could feel Jason's hand on his shoulder, pressing it gently for a moment.  
That was his way of saying everything was ok.  
Nico sighed, shaking his head.

"I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know what hit me. I was just...I don't know...", he muttered and looked up to find them all gaze at him with understanding expressions.

"It's ok, Neeks. Come, let's hug it out.", Will said and wanted to wrap him in a hug, but Percy shoved him aside rudely.

"Don't you dare.", he hissed and pulled Nico into a hug instead.

"Nico, I really am sorry. I wanted to tell you but I completely forgot. I didn't even get around to tell Jason until Monday when you two were out. Else I would still have told nobody."

"It...It doesn't matter. I mean...I'm glad you're all coming with me...I don't know why I reacted like that...", he muttered, wrapping his arms around Percy absent-mindedly.

The dark-haired boy chuckled quietly.

"Sometimes, we get fed up over really stupid things, Nico. It's ok.", he murmured quietly into his ear.

The others nodded and smiled.  
Then Nico pulled back.

"Ok, that's enough feelings for a day. Let's go slaughter some dummies."

They all laughed.

*****

Matter of factly, they didn't get to slaughter any dummies.

Instead, they were completely overrun by half the camp as they entered the arena and then had to split up, training with groups of kids.  
It had been fun, of course, especially when Bill had found his true passion of spear-wielding, maybe not exactly perfectly, but definitely effectively.  
He had later high-fived with Nico and to Nico, it had been like the best thing in the world.

Especially when others had gone up to Bill and talked in hushed voices, asking about Nico and whether he knew him and could introduce them so he could show them some cool stuff too.  
Bill was a lot like Nico, so when they had all come to him all of a sudden, he had been pleased, yet completely overwhelmed.  
When he had looked around at Nico with those big pleading eyes, Nico had only chuckled and come to his aid, talking to the lot and even letting them hold his Stygian Iron sword.  
Then Jason had joined him and shown his gladius and they had been completely awed.

Somehow, to the new campers, they really seemed like heroes or idols.

They looked up to him and his friends.  
It was odd, thinking about it that way.  
He himself had looked up to Percy back when he had gotten to know him.  
Thought he was an absolute hero.

To these kids, he thought, he seemed something like a hero as well.

Though he was just Nico.

It was weird.  
But in a good way.

They were fairly curious about him as well, asking questions about the Underworld and his father and Nico used the chance to get some myths out of the way as well.  
It was really funny watching their expressions change from awe to shock to dread to relief when he told them about Tartarus and how they had found the Doors of Death.  
Jason completely exaggerated at some points, making Nico flustered and the kids think he was some sort of superhero.

He wasn't that great.

Ok, he had beaten off quite a few monsters by himself (a few thousand, mind you), but not completely unscathed and not the way Jason claimed.  
But the kids went nuts about it, trying to mimic his fighting style and looking up at him with adoration in their eyes.  
It was a really good feeling.

Then Percy had joined and wrapped Nico into a really tight hug from behind, making him all fuzzy inside.  
He wouldn't have been surprised to see the kids look at them shocked or something, but all they had done is giggle and give each other meaningful glances.  
Percy had only grinned broadly and as Jason shoved him away and pressed Nico against his chest, the kids had all laughed and started cheering for either Jason or Percy who had a fun time tugging at either side of Nico,, bickering whom he liked more.

Then Will had come running, wanting to join in as well.

Nico, who had kind of seen it coming, got out of the way in one fluid motion, resulting in the three head-butting each other by accident.  
Then Nico brushed off his hands like a boss and the kids had been a laughing mess.

All in all, it had been a really fun day.

*****

When they split up in the evening, it was Jason bringing Nico to his door, while the others were already in their cabins.

"I think it's great that we'll be spending Christmas together. All of us. I'm really looking forward to that.", Nico said quietly, inwardly already thinking about possible gifts.

"Yeah, I bet it will be great. Will is actually really looking forward to Camp Jupiter."

"True, he's never been there, has he? I'm actually surprised he's coming with us. Kind of thought he'd be spending Christmas here."

"Yeah, me too. But I also didn't think Percy was going to stay at Camp, much less come with us.", Jason muttered.

Nico fidgeted. "Yeah, I'm surprised about that, too."

"Nico?"

"Hm?"

"Nothing...good night, Neeks.", he said instead and waved.

Nico frowned but shrugged it off and opened his door.

"Good Night, Jason. See you tomorrow."

With that, he watched Jason walk away, his hand still raised, and closed the door.  
He would be spending Christmas with his three best friends, his sister and his other sister. Could life be any better?

And the admirer would come out to him as well.

He smiled to himself, getting ready for bed and sinking into the pillow.

Sighing happily, he fell asleep.


	13. Day 12: 12th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I hope you like the bracelet. It certainly looks good on you.  
> You are a very beautiful person, Nico.  
> Even if you might not think so yourself.  
> You're not just beautiful on the outside (that abs, though!) but also on the inside.  
> Even though you've had so many bad things happening to you and had to suffer so much, you are the kindest and gentlest person I have ever met.  
> I hope that from now on, you'll be able to have lots of good things coming your way.  
> I'll certainly try my best to make you happy.  
> I hope you enjoy today's gift, Nico.  
> Have a nice 12th day of December. We're almost there.  
> I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or anxious about that.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: Tonight, you grabbed my hand and didn't want to let go. I've never felt happier.  
> Thank you. I love you so much.'

**Day 12: Friday**

"Shh, it's ok. You need to let go of my hand, Nico. You aren't allowed to know it's me just yet.", a voice muttered softly against his ear.  
He instinctively turned towards it, feeling a hand trying to retreat from his.  
He didn't really want to let go.  
It felt good holding onto it.

He made a small sound and turned around.  
There was a soft chuckle, then he felt soft lips kissing the side of his face.

"I love you, Nico.", the voice said again and Nico muttered something indistinguishable.

Then he felt the hand leaving his.  
He frowned, turning around and feeling for Mrs. O'Leary Jr. again, wrapping her tightly against him.  
Another chuckle sounded through his cabin, then he heard footsteps and the door close.

He opened one eye slightly, turning his head to look at the door, but whoever had been here was already gone.  
He sighed and closed his eyes again, falling back asleep.

*****

When he woke up next, he seriously considered banging his head against the wall.

He had been SO close to finding out.

Worst of all, he couldn't even identify the voice.

It was familiar, yes, but the more he thought of it, the fuzzier it became.

Gods, it was maddening!

He looked at his bedside table, finding a note and a small package lying there, waiting for him.  
He sighed defeated and picked up the card.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I hope you like the bracelet. It certainly looks good on you._

_You are a very beautiful person, Nico._

_Even if you might not think so yourself._

_You're not just beautiful on the outside (that abs, though!) but also on the inside._

_Even though you've had so many bad things happening to you and had to suffer so much, you are the kindest and gentlest person I have ever met._

_I hope that from now on, you'll be able to have lots of good things coming your way._

_I'll certainly try my best to make you happy._

_I hope you enjoy today's gift, Nico._

_Have a nice 12th day of December. We're almost there._

_I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or anxious about that._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: Tonight, you grabbed my hand and didn't want to let go. I've never felt happier._

_Thank you. I love you so much.]_

Nico smiled fondly.  
Then he looked down at his hand.  
He felt all fuzzy inside.

Great, he was in love with a person he didn't know who it was, just because he wrote him sweet lines.

Awesome.

He took the small package.  
Hm, what could that be?

Then again, he hadn't really been able to guess any of the other things, so he didn't really start to think about it.

Instead, he began unwrapping it slowly, putting the wrapping paper aside and staring at the gift in his hand.

Then he laughed.

"Really?", he asked, though he didn't know why.

He knew nobody could hear him.  
He unpacked the cards inside the pack and looked through them.

Then he shook his head, grinning. "I've said a thousand times I don't play Mythomagic anymore."

He still looked over his new card set (yay for expansion sets) and then hushed over to a corner in his room where he kept the cards and figurines he still owned.  
Ok, maybe he had stocked up a little bit to make up for the time he had burnt down his old cards.

He hesitated for a moment, then took them out, starting to lay everything out.  
Maybe, just maybe, he'd take the time to actually teach his friends how to play.

*****

"Gods, why can't I use this card? It looks good!", Percy wailed and Nico facepalmed.

"Percy, you just can't. Look at how you're positioned. Playing that card now would be like hoisting a flag saying 'please rape my ass'."

There was silence.

"But why can't I play that card?", Percy wailed again.

Nico rolled his eyes and pulled out a normal monster card from the cards in Percy's hands.

"How about you play this one, then you can do 200 damage on Jason, unless he has the Aegis, which I highly doubt."

"Gee, thanks, Nico. Why can't he play the 'please rape my ass'-card?", Jason complained and Will chuckled.

Nico waved them off and Percy played the monster card.  
Then he moved over to Jason and looked at his cards.

"Hm, ok, what were you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"Then guess."

"Play this card to do damage on Percy?"

"Sounds legit."

"Hey!", Percy complained but Jason smirked and played the card.

He went over to Will.

"I want to play this card."

"No."

"Why not?"

"That will erase all the characters on the field."

"So?"

"It will also erase your characters off the field and you're the one who has the most on the field right now."

"Oh."

Nico tapped at one of the cards.

"How about you play that, then anybody who will attack Apollo will get double damage."

"Why would anybody attack Apollo though?"

"It's your best bet unless you want to say bye to your figurines."

"Blah."

He played the card.

Nico smirked to himself and looked at his own cards, checking whether there was anything good he could do.  
He sighed and looked at his three friends in a row.  
Then back at his cards.  
Then back at them.

"Ok, sorry Percy, but I'll have to take you out."

"What?! But I didn't play the 'please rape my ass'-card!"

The other two chuckled.

Nico sighed. "Fine, fair point. Jason, you're out."

"What?!"

Now Percy laughed.  
Nico played his card.

"Aw, but Neeks!", Jason complained, putting down his cards and taking his figurines off the board.

"Shush, I need you to help Will. You're the only one who at least understood part of what I told you all."

Jason instantly stopped his complaining and slid over to Will, looking at his cards.  
Nico looked over at Percy, who was smirking at him like an idiot.

"You better not play the 'please rape my ass'-card this round.", he warned.

Percy grinned broadly. "Nah. I got a real awesome plan."

Nico didn't like the sound of that much.

But they went on for a few rounds without too many problems, Nico actually being able to play without having to look into Percy's cards and help him.  
Jason talked in hushed voices with Will and they managed to stay aloft as well, though barely.  
Nevertheless, Nico was certain with a bit of exercise they might actually manage to become decent players.

Percy played a card.

"Card switch!", he announced and Nico had the distinct feeling he knew where this was going.

Percy grinned at him and held out a card.  
Nico sighed and looked down at his cards, deciding to give Percy his Katoplebs-card. He didn't need it anyways.

They switched cards and as expected, he had the 'please rape my ass'-card.

Oh well.

At least he knew how to use it to turn the game around.

A few rounds later, it was Nico's turn again.  
He put down the Card and grinned victoriously.

Percy blinked.  
Will blinked.  
Jason blinked.  
Then Percy looked at the figurines and facepalmed.

Nico smirked.

"How did you just turn the 'Please rape my ass'-card into a 'I'll rape you all'-card? Not fair...", he muttered as Jason and Will also understood and groaned, clearing off the board.

Nico grinned and patted him.

"I have to admit, you all weren't half as bad as I'd have expected."

"That was actually really cool. Can we play again?", Will asked and Jason nodded.

Nico hesitated.

"Yes! We have to play again.", Percy chimed in, using his baby-seal-face again.

Though he really didn't have to use it, Nico could play this game all day.

"Sure.", he said, shrugging and they started over again.

*****

"I'm glad you showed us that game, Neeks. As difficult as it is, it really isn't a game for kids at all.", Will muttered as they stored the cards and figurines away after three more games.

"How can that be a kid's game, anyways? I still don't even understand half of it. Like why can't I move my dad in the beginning of the game?", Percy asked and frowned, holding up a figurine of Poseidon.

Nico chuckled and took it, storing it away with the others.

"When you've played it for a while, it's actually quite simple.", he said and took another stack of cards from Jason.

"I'm surprised, though. I don't think I ever told anybody but Frank what sets I already have. So how would the admirer know?", he asked, more to himself than the others.

"Who knows.", replied Jason, looking around for any leftover pieces.

"He's had quite a few lucky guesses so far already. Or he simply knows you, Neeks.", Will retorted.

Percy just shrugged, staring at the snow globe again.  
Every time Nico found him looking at it, the dark-haired seemed to be deep in thought.  
Nico walked over to him, watching the other two chatting about how they should have moved instead on the last game.  
Nico stopped, standing next to him and took the globe in his hand, shaking it.

"Snow in Venice, though.", he said and glanced at Percy, seeing his lips twitch.

"Who knows, what with global warming...", Percy muttered and Nico chuckled.

"You know what, I wouldn't be surprised.", he said drily and they both chuckled.

"If it does happen, I'll take you there.", Percy suddenly said, looking around at Nico.

Nico blinked. Then he smirked. "Ok, I'll remind you of that when the time has come."

Percy winked. "I sure hope so."

Will and Jason appeared behind them.

"Eh? You have to take me along as well! I want to go to Venice, too.", Will wailed and Jason hugged Nico from behind.

"And me as well. Don't you dare forget me."

They laughed.

*****

In the late afternoon, Nico decided it was time to get some shopping done.

"Wait, you can't go by yourself!", Percy complained, while Will wrapped his arms and legs around Nico's legs, refusing to let go.

Jason pouted.

"Hey, I want to buy Christmas presents, you can't come along for that."

Instantly they were all ears.

"Christmas presents? For us?", Jason asked, surprised.

"But Neeks, you don't have to get me anything. Though you can give me a kiss.", Will said, winking and immediately got shoved away by Percy.

"Hands off. Nico, you have to take me along with you, I need to buy some as well."

"Percy, you told me today in the morning you don't have any money.", Jason put in.

"Shht! He doesn't have to know that!"

Nico laughed. "Seriously? Come on, guys, the sooner you let me go, the sooner I'll be back."

They all gave him their best pouting faces.  
He made a face.  
Then he rolled his eyes.

"Fine. But you will NOT go into the stores with me and I will not hear any excuse whatsoever."

They all nodded wildly.  
Somehow, he had a feeling they weren't going to keep their word.

*****

They didn't keep their word.

Nico groaned as they walking into each store with him, either right away, claiming they needed to use the restroom (Will seemed to have a horrible bladder, judging by the fact that he needed to go into several stores in a row with that excuse) or soon after Nico had entered it, claiming that they were worried a monster might have dragged him off or the like.

After the 6th or so store he gave up, simply taking them along with him inside.  
He looked at various items, though he wasn't exactly sure what to get them.

For Reyna, Frank and Hazel he already had something.

He looked at some clothes. Should he really get his best friends clothes for Christmas?  
They kind of had everything already anyways.

He walked over to a corner with Christmas decoration articles.

Uh, no.

He walked over to the gaming supplies.

Maybe...no.

He walked over to stationary.

Hell no.

He sighed exasperated as he watched Percy run after Jason with a plastic sword.

Those dorks.

He saw Will standing further away at a shelf with cuddly bears.

Ha-ha.

Nico began strolling through the store.

He wanted to give them something special.

Something they could actually use or that was at least something they really liked.

He thought of Jason.  
The first thing that came to mind was brownies.  
The second was a brick to remind him of how many times he'd been knocked out already.  
Ok, it was official, he was a really mean person.

He thought of Will.  
Maybe something that had to do with his work as a healer?  
Books wouldn't help much, of course.  
Equipment he already had more than enough.

He looked around and spotted some pocket watches.

He remembered faintly how Will had kept asking the time of him and other campers whenever he was in the infirmary.

Maybe...?

It would be an idea at least.

He thought back to Jason.  
How about a helmet to protect him from oncoming bricks?

Hehe. Nah, better not.

Something nice.

He looked around the store.

Maybe brownies after all?  
He could try make them himself...  
He had never actually baked before.

The thought was odd.  
Well, he'd have to think about it...

Then he thought of Percy.

Oh my.  
What would he like?

He saw him running around with two light sabers now, play fighting against Jason.  
Maybe he should separate them before they either broke the toys or the storeowner kicked them out.

He looked around some more.  
Why were people so difficult?  
He stopped for a moment.  
What would he have gotten himself?  
His admirer had thought of 25 things for him.

If he could do that, Nico could think of at least one for each of his friends.

With new determination, he went for another round in the store.

*****

With them constantly drifting off and playing with the items for sale, it had been surprisingly easy for Nico to get the gifts.  
He had gotten an elegant golden pocket watch for Will, which ironically even had a sun engraved onto it.  
For Jason, he had gotten a bottle of cleaning spray for his glasses as well as a pretty carton for brownies – Nico was so going to try bake them at Camp Jupiter.

He only hoped they turned out alright.

Percy had been his biggest problem.  
He was always so carefree and really, he seemed to either have everything already or not need anything.

But then Nico had seen something that he had thought might work for Percy.

It was a charm, really.

Something utterly stupid.

It was a small bottle with some sand in it and it looked as if there was a message rolled up sticking upright in the sand, held together by what looked like a tiny golden ring, though it could have been a ribbon as well.

Next to the message was a real, small seashell that was the exact same color as Percy's eyes.  
The thing Nico liked most was the fact that it looked as if all of that was underwater.  
He had no idea how they had done that, because if there was liquid in there, it didn't move.

Anyway, the bottle was connected to a thin golden necklace.

Nico didn't even know if it might not even be for girls.  
But he had taken a liking to it, thinking it might be a cliché, but at least it was something that would suit Percy.

Since he was always wearing his Camp Half-Blood necklace, he might also wear that.  
Or he might not.

Nico sighed.

At least that matter was settled.

Though he also had gotten some photo-albums.

One in green for Percy, one in blue for Jason and one in yellow for Will, as well as a purple one for Reyna, a golden one for Hazel and a red one for Frank.  
Since the three had been so thrilled by Nico's photo album, he thought it might be nice if they had one too and for Reyna, Hazel and Frank it seemed like a great idea as well.

*****

After their shopping, they had stopped by a stand and gotten themselves some hotdogs, which would be their dinner since none of them particularly felt like going to the dining pavilion.

They all just wanted to go to bed.

He clutched the bag closer as they got into the car, shoving Percy away as he tried to sneak a peek inside.  
His zombie chauffeur waited patiently as usual as they all filed into the car.

Then they started driving back to the camp.

"So, did you get everything?", Jason asked while swatting Will's hand away as he tried to put it into Nico's bag.

"Yup."

"What? For us as well?", Percy asked, surprised.

"Only you three were missing."

"I thought you'd get something for Hazel, Frank and Reyna as well.", Will frowned.

"I already have something for them."

"So all that's in that bag is for us? Oh gods, how am I ever going to live until Christmas now without knowing what you got me, Neeks?!", Percy wailed from the front seat.

Nico rolled his eyes.  
Jason next to him swatted Will's hand away again.

"Well, welcome to my life. I have to wait until Christmas to know who's giving me a gift, like, every day. At least you know you'll get a gift and who it's from."

Silence.

"Fair point.", Percy said, shrugging.

The others nodded quietly.

Nico sighed loudly, looking out of the window.

"You know what, guys? When we're going to Camp Jupiter I'm definitely sitting in that front seat."

"No way!", all of them instantly replied and he raised an eyebrow.

"We'll kill each other in such confined space.", Will said dramatically, eyeing Percy suspiciously.

"I'd say I sit here, you in the middle and Jason can sit on the other side while Percy stays in the front seat.", he then proposed.

"How about you sit in that front seat and Jason and I sit on the left and right of Nico.", Percy muttered and Nico rolled his eyes.

He looked to Jason, who only smiled with that understanding smile.

It also looked a bit pained.

Those dorks.

*****

All three of them dropped him off at his cabin.  
Percy and Will tried up to the end to get a sneak peek, if not at least a sneak feel.

So Jason and Nico had had a tough time getting them to back off.  
Nico had also gotten wrapping paper, though he knew he sucked at wrapping gifts.

But he wanted to do it himself.  
Things like that were simply better done personally.  
It was meant to be a gift from the heart after all.

So as soon as he was inside and checked the windows for possible signs of Will and Percy, he set out to wrap the objects up, except for the box for Jason's brownies.

He so hoped they would turn out well.  
Maybe he should still think about something different as an emergency plan.

He carefully wrapped each gift up nicely, writing the names on the ribbons instead of the packages.  
He didn't know why, but he always preferred it that way, because it made the package look so pretty and neat.  
Then he wondered where to store them.

Percy and Will were bound to go looking for them.  
Those two idiots.  
Endearing idiots, but still idiots.

Nico chuckled and decided to hide them in a really obvious place: Beneath his bed in the far right corner, covered by a box in front of it.  
Even if Percy decided to hide beneath his bed again to wait for his secret admirer, he wouldn't see them if he didn't know they were there.

Satisfied, Nico went and got ready for bed.


	14. Day 13: 13th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I hope you liked the expansion set.  
> I certainly enjoyed watching you explaining the rules over and over.  
> I love the way you get so passionate about things you like.  
> Yes, that also includes when you get angry.  
> You're special that way.  
> I hope you'll enjoy today's gift, Nico.  
> Have a nice 13th day of December.  
> Only 12 days left.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret admirer  
> P.s.: Soon. I promise.'

**Day 13: Saturday**

"Gods, Nico."

Ah. That voice.  
He instinctively turned towards it, reaching out.

A hand touched his face gently.  
He smiled.  
He heard a rustling and felt the blanket back on him.

Must have taken it off at some point.  
He blindly searched for the person.  
His fingers closed around fabric.

A chuckle.  
Mmh, he liked that chuckle.  
He felt something sitting down at the side of his bed.  
A hand softly took his hand away, placing it back on the pillow.  
Nico tried to take the hand, but it was already pulling away.

He felt a shifting and instinctively turned his face.  
Soft lips met his.  
The person pulled back instantly, seemingly surprised, but Nico's hand pulled him down again, pressing their lips back together.

It felt so good.

He had never felt anything quite like this.

"Nico...", the voice muttered softly against his lips.

"Hm...", Nico replied quietly, smiling.

"I love you..."

"Mhm..."

"You're so damn irresistible. I shouldn't be kissing you. And you should be in deep sleep."

"Mhm..."

A kiss to his forehead.  
The retreating from the bed.  
Nico reached out, but into nothingness.  
He frowned, sighing depressed.  
A low chuckle.

"Soon, Nico."

"Now...", Nico complained and felt something pressing against him.

He identified it as Mrs. O'Leary Jr. and wrapped his arms around it, still upset.

"Soon. I promise."

"Ok..."

He heard something that sounded like scribbling.  
Then the person retreated.

"Sleep well, Nico."

Nico muttered something and turned away.  
Another chuckle, then the door closed and the person was gone.

*****

Percy, Jason and Will sat around his bed.  
Nico, extremely peeved he had almost met his admirer and somehow had managed to let the situation slip AGAIN, had bluntly refused to get up.  
So his friends had had to get him breakfast and entertain him enough to at least pick up the note.  
He had also refused to read that.

Every now and then, his fingertips would brush against his lips.

He had kissed him.  
It had felt wonderful.  
But he had kissed him.  
It had felt better than anything ever before.  
But he had still kissed him just like that without even knowing who he was!

Who cared?  
Nico was still annoyed but at least he picked up the note.  
Why did his admirer have to be so stubborn?  
Couldn't he have just let Nico see his face?  
Nico would have simply pretended not to know until Christmas.  
His admirer could have gone on with his plan and Nico wouldn't have said a word at all.

But no, he always had to go.

Nico sighed and read the card.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I hope you liked the expansion set._

_I certainly enjoyed watching you explaining the rules over and over._

_I love the way you get so passionate about things you like._

_Yes, that also includes when you get angry._

_You're special that way._

_I hope you'll enjoy today's gift, Nico._

_Have a nice 13th day of December._

_Only 12 days left._

_I love you,_

_Your secret admirer_

_P.s.: Soon. I promise.]_

Nico found himself smiling even though he was still annoyed at himself.

_'Soon. I promise.'_

He had said that to Nico as well.  
The others watched him, grinning but not in a bad way.

"Feeling better, now?", Jason asked.

Nico shook his head. "No. Guess I'll have to open the gift after all."

They chuckled and Percy gave him the nicely wrapped box.

"Seriously, I wonder if that guy wraps these himself or if he got outside help.", Nico muttered, shaking his head and slowly unfolding the wrapping paper around it.

"No clue. But why don't you ever just tear it open? I would.", Will said and nodded towards Nico's work.

Nico made a face. "No. It's done so nicely I don't want to destroy it. Jason, can you put it over there in the drawer please? The ribbon, too."

Jason lifted an eyebrow but did so nevertheless.

"Seriously? You kept it all?", he asked surprised as he found Nico's stash of red wrapping paper and green ribbons.

"Yes."

"What are you going to do with it?", Percy asked.

"Wrap the admirer up in it and put him next to some fake gifts beneath a big Christmas tree in a shopping mall as payback for being so cruel.", he said immediately.

There was silence for a moment.  
He rolled his eyes.

"I was just going to keep it. Maybe it can be reused or something.", he admitted.

Percy chuckled. "I liked the other idea more."

Nico threw him his best 'Seriously?'-face and they laughed.

Then they all looked at the gift in Nico's hands.

"Haha, sweet. I love that series.", said Percy and Nico passed it, grinning.

Of course he would.

"Hm, I don't think I've seen it, to be honest.", Jason muttered while Will's eyes widened and he hurried off to get the TV.

Nico chuckled.  
It was the Pirates of the Caribbean series.  
Nico wondered whether the admirer was either a very good guesser or knew Nico way too well.

Pirates.  
He had always liked pirates.  
His gaze travelled over to Percy.  
Percy noticed and met his gaze.

Nico immediately broke it off and looked away again.

Then he flung his arms around Mrs. O'Leary Jr. and made a sound he hoped nobody could hear.  
Of course, all of them could hear, but they only looked around grinning as Nico squealed quietly and rolled over in his bed, hiding his face.

Pirates.

*****

The series was pretty cool.  
Nico had heard of it before, of course, but never gotten around to watch it because he usually got his DVDs from his friends.

Or, well, his secret admirer.

But he was also a friend, so meh.

He chuckled to himself, causing Jason and Will to look around at him from the side.  
Percy had his gaze transfixed on the TV.  
Jason was on the left of him, Will on the right and Percy next to Will.  
It sure was difficult to please three people when all three wanted to be next to you.

In the end, Percy had surprised them by stepping back and saying he'd lay on the outside.  
Nico had first thought something was wrong, but Percy just wanted to be nice it seemed.  
Nico touched his lips softly again, then scolded himself, focusing back on the screen.

This was the third movie.

The sun was up, the snow just waiting for them, kids in the arena wondering why nobody was coming.  
And they sat here having a movie marathon.

He loved it.

Jason had his arm around him.  
This was mainly to protect him from Will, who had started to get closer again in the middle of the first movie, making Nico squirmish again.  
Percy sometimes brushed against him with his hand when he looked for the bowl of chips next to Nico's side.  
He always found himself shivering, though he tried not to let it show.  
Will had kept his hands to himself after Jason had smacked them away several times.

Nico was really glad about that.

It wasn't as if he didn't like it, but it made him all nervous and weird and he really didn't want to do anything with anybody other than his admirer.  
Oh my, it really seemed as if he had fallen in love with a complete stranger and was now just waiting for a face to the whole mess.

But if it really was one of these three, was there one he would prefer?  
Was there one he wouldn't be too happy about?  
Did he hope it was one of them in particular?  
He refused to answer those questions.  
He refused to even think about answering those questions.  
Usually he also refused to let such questions cross his mind in the first place.

He felt his lips again.  
Will turned his head towards him.

"Why do you keep doing that thing with your lips?", he asked, curious.

Nico blinked and dropped his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jason and Percy looked around as well.  
Nico fixed his gaze on the screen.

"Did something happen last night you didn't tell us about?", Will asked mischievously.

Nico hesitated.  
He had told them he had had a kind of conversation with his admirer, though he couldn't really remember the voice, just the words.  
He hadn't told them they had touched and kissed, though.

He shrugged. "Nothing you need to know.", he said quietly.

Jason chuckled.  
Will made a face.  
Percy only smiled and looked back to the screen.

"You know what I don't understand?", Will asked.

Nico sighed.

"Solace, I want to watch the film.", Percy complained and threw him an annoyed glance.

"Why don't you ask us who it is?"

Nico bit his lip and stared at the screen, though he wasn't really watching.

"Well, for once, I still can't believe it's one of you. Second, do you really think that person would tell me? I'd probably ask all three of you and you'd say 'No', and I'd still be none the wiser."

Jason chuckled. "He's got a point."

"Maybe he wouldn't. Not if you go to him first and say you return his feelings.", Will went on.

Silence.  
Nico stared at the screen, but didn't see a thing.  
More silence.

"Leave him alone, Will.", Jason said quietly.

"Can we just watch the film?", Percy asked, annoyed.

Nico stared into the distance.  
Then he dropped his head onto his arms.  
He felt Jason's hand on his back, soothingly stroking him.  
He felt like shit.  
He'd love to actually go to one of them and say 'Hey, I wouldn't mind if it's you, because I actually like you'.  
The only problem was: He kind of liked all three.

He was a horrible person.

A really, really, REALLY horrible person.

Did he even deserve his admirer?  
Somebody to love him so deeply, when he couldn't even say whom of his friends he liked more?  
He touched his lips softly again, lifting his head to watch at the screen again.

"I could also simply get you all to write a line of text and compare the handwriting if I really wanted to.", he said quietly after a while.

All three looked around at him.

He shrugged. "But he told me 'Soon, I promise' and I trust him, so I guess I'll just have to wait until it's time."

They smiled at him and finally returned to watching the movie.

*****

Nico really did stay in bed the whole day.  
He didn't care.  
His mood had somewhat improved, but by then, he simply couldn't be bothered to get up anymore, other than to go to the toilet.

Jason had only shaken his head and gotten him food, while Will had made him drink lots of water (which was why he needed to go to the bathroom so often) and Percy had mostly done the entertaining part, running around wielding Riptide like Captain Jack Sparrow did and citing parts of the films.

Nico had either laughed out loud or dropped his head on his arms, groaning and telling Percy to not remind him.

So all in all it had been a hell lot of fun.

"We still got to go ice skating!", Percy suddenly shot around.

But Nico only rolled away.

"Maybe on Monday.", he muttered, his back to Percy.

Percy came over, sitting down on the bed.

"Aw, really? But I already got plans for Monday!"

"Sucks. Maybe Tuesday."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Uh...maybe. I don't even have skates."

"Don't worry about that. I don't, either. We can borrow some. And if not, Leo will probably be able to build them as well.", Percy reassured him, leaning over him and trying to look him in the face.

But Nico pushed his face towards the pillow.  
Percy chuckled, now completely leaning over Nico, looking at him upside down.  
Nico looked up at him.  
Percy made a face at him.  
He chuckled and hit him with the pillow.

"Hey!", he complained, hitting Nico back with the pillow.

He grabbed for it, but Percy didn't let go.

"Percy~, that's my pillow.", Nico moaned and tugged, but Percy only laughed and tugged harder.

Then Percy let go.  
Nico fell backwards and instead of falling clean off the bed, crashed into Jason who had just walked past.  
They toppled over and Nico landed with his face right at Jason's navel, his hands wrapped around Jason's thighs for some reason, his body flat on Jason's.  
Nico scrambled off hurriedly.

"Sorry, Jason! It was all Percy's fault.", he called, looking devastated at Jason, while Percy roared with laughter, rolling on the bed and holding his stomach.

Jason only blinked, his hands still raised as if he had been trying to hold Nico.  
Then he laughed himself and got up.

"Damn, you had me there for a moment, Neeks. I completely wasn't prepared for that.", he admitted and grinned at him.

Nico's face was still slightly flushed.

Then he glared at Percy. "Percy! I will end you!", he called and threw himself onto the bed and at Percy, who couldn't react fast enough and suddenly, Nico was on top of him, tickling his sides.

Percy squirmed and laughed and chuckled and freaked, trying to grab Nico's hands, but Nico stopped him, grinning maliciously down at Percy.  
Tickling people felt a thousand times better than getting tickled.

Those hands though.  
Nico grabbed them both and pulled them over Percy's head, holding them there with one hand while tickling him with the other.  
Percy had tears in his eyes, still laughing loudly, looking at him almost pleadingly to stop.

Will whistled, just coming back from the bathroom. "Who'd have guessed? Nico would actually make a decent top."

Nico flushed and looked towards Will for a moment.  
Which was enough time for Percy to attack.  
In one fluid motion, Nico found himself on his back, Percy on top of him.

"Revenge.", he growled and Nico blushed.

That voice.

Then Percy swiftly grabbed both his hands and held them above his head.  
Damn it, maybe he shouldn't have done that to Percy.  
He laughed and squirmed as Percy tickled him, kicking with his legs in a futile try to get him off.

"Un...Unfair...", Nico gasped and laughed, tears coming to his eyes.

Percy leaned close over his face. "You like it."

Nico loved those sea-green eyes.  
They were so mesmerizing.  
Nico found himself lost in them.

"Hey, you know what I want to try out?", Will said suddenly, right next to them, tearing them out of their little world.

Percy looked around annoyed.  
Nico managed to get his hands out of his grip, but instead of shoving Percy off, he turned over onto his stomach and tried to crawl away.  
Let's just say it didn't work well.  
Percy's arm wrapped itself around Nico's waist, pulling him up slightly and pressing him against him.

"Nah, you're staying here. So, what is it you want, Will?", Percy asked casually and pressed down on Nico, keeping him there.

"Dude, you look as if you're going to ravage him any moment.", Will complained with a rather jealous voice.

Percy looked down at Nico.  
Then he grinned and flopped down on him, wrapping both arms around him in a way Nico couldn't move his own anymore.

"Nah, I simply want to cuddle with him.", he said, while Nico groaned loudly.

"Can't breathe...", he wailed, though he was fine, really.

Percy knew he was, chuckling and rubbing his face against Nico's neck.  
Nico could feel goose bumps all over his body.

This was getting way too out of hand.  
He began moving.  
Percy chuckled against his neck.  
Then Nico put all his strength onto one side, pushing up.

Next moment, they were lying sideways.

"What...aww...", Percy wailed, but Nico had already managed to get free and scrambled out of bed, brushing invisible dust off his clothes.

Will laughed loudly. "And that's a pro for you.", he praised and high-fived Nico.

He looked over to Jason, who sat on a chair with Nico's laptop, though smiling over at him as he noticed his gaze.  
He had taken quite a liking to it.  
Nico didn't mind.

"So, what did you want to do?", Percy asked Will.

Nico turned around as well now.

Will's eyes seemed to practically glow. "I want to try play Truth or Dare."

"No way.", Nico said instantly.

But Jason and Percy had already perked up.

"That sounds interesting.", Percy muttered.

"I have never played that before.", Jason pondered.

Nico groaned.

He hated Truth or Dare.

Or better said, he hated Truth AND Dare.

*****

Of course, they played Truth or Dare.  
The rules were simple.

Nothing can be chosen more than twice in a row.  
No stuff like IM-ing for dares.  
No stuff that will get them into too much trouble, including things like public announcements and what not.  
And no illegal stuff, obviously.

Nico so wanted to add 'nothing sexual', but since he was the only gay guy, he didn't really want to point it out that he was thinking into that direction.

Well, he was glad that at least there was the option to 'pass' in case he really didn't want to do something.  
Even though they'd then each choose something different for him to do and he'd have to pick one option.  
He simply hoped nobody got any weird ideas.

  
They sat in a circle on pillows on the floor in front of the open fire place.  
On the left of him was Percy, on the right of him was Will, and in front of him sat Jason, smiling at him reassuringly.

"So...I'm the oldest, Nico's the youngest, so I start asking him.", Percy said smugly.

Nico made a face. "Do I have to repeat I'm over 80 years old?"

"Fine, then you start."

Nico sighed.

At least he was allowed to start.

He looked at Jason. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Nico thought for a moment.  
He certainly wasn't good at games like this.

"Erm...do you sing in the shower?"

Jason frowned, while Percy and Will laughed.

"Gods, Nico, that's hilarious.", Will muttered.

Nico blushed and bit his lip.  
That had been the first thing that had jumped to mind.

"Actually, I don't.", Jason muttered, seemingly uncertain whether he should grin or frown.

"Ok, then.", Nico shrugged, glad his turn was over.

Jason looked at Will. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

Nico rolled his eyes. That was so typical of Will.

"Good. Can you go and get me my water? I forgot it over on the counter."

Nico and Percy laughed quietly, grinning at each other while Will rolled his eyes and got Jason's water.

Then he smirked at Nico. "Truth or Dare?"

Nico scowled.

Blah.

"Truth."

"Top or bottom?"

Will grinned at him.  
Nico flushed.  
Percy shifted.  
Jason glared at Will.  
Nico began fidgeting with his hands.

Then he sighed. "I...I don't know...bottom, probably."

He felt embarrassed, to say the least.  
This made him look like a girl.  
He looked down at his hands, not wanting to meet anyone's gaze.  
He heard a dull sound and looked up, seeing Jason whacking Will across the back of his head.

"Ouch.", Will muttered quietly, sulking.

Nico turned his gaze to Percy.

"Truth or Dare?", he muttered, though looking at Percy's collar instead of his face.

"Truth."

That was a surprise.  
He would have guessed Percy would take Dare.

"Erm...would you ever get a piercing?"

Ok, it was official, he sucked at this game.

Percy chuckled. "Nah, I don't think so. Not right now at least."

Then he looked over at Jason. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you have embarrassing underwear?"

Nico looked around at Percy wide-eyed.  
You couldn't ask people something like that!  
Then again, he had just been asked whether he'd top or bottom.  
He flushed and looked away again.

"Well, I do have some with small superman-logos on them. Leo got them for me as a joke."

Will and Percy chuckled.  
Then Jason looked at Nico.  
Why always him?!

"Truth or Dare?"

Nico fidgeted.  
He didn't want to take Dare.

But if he took Truth now, he was at the mercy of the next person to ask him.  
He didn't want to take either, really.

"D-Dare...", he muttered.

"Hm...Go put in some more firewood."

Nico sighed relieved and went to do the task.  
Will made a huffing sound.

Nico turned to him. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Are you straight?"

It had slipped. Somehow, it had just slipped.  
Nico blinked, surprised at himself.

Will frowned. "I'm bi. Thought you knew."

Nico blinked even more. No, he hadn't known.

He wanted to say sorry for a moment, but Will already turned towards Percy, grinning.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

Ew, Percy, why?!

"Woot, this is going to get interesting. Make Jason blush."

Nico inwardly relaxed.  
Yay, at least this wasn't about him.

He watched Percy blink, then frown, then move over to Jason, who looked at him as if he was going to kill him if he dared getting too close.  
Nico found himself holding his breath.

What was he going to do?  
Then Percy put his lips to Jason's ear and whispered something they couldn't understand.

Jason's eyes widened and – believe it or not – there was a faint touch of pink on his cheeks.  
Percy grinned broadly and went back to his place, looking rather smug.

"Oh, man. What did you say?", Will asked curiously.

"Secret.", Percy grinned and looked at Nico.

Not again.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you still blame me for Bianca?"

"No.", Nico instantly replied.

Percy blinked, then smiled slightly.

Nico smiled back. Then he turned to Jason. "Truth or Dare."

"Dare."

Oh great.  
Then again, it was to be expected.

"Erm...whack Will once more."

"What?", Will complained but Jason complied instantly.

Percy chuckled. "Good one."

Jason smirked at Nico, then turned to Will.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Sunrise or Sunset?"

"Sunset."

That was over fast.  
Will turned to him and grinned.

"Truth or Dare?"

Why did everyone go to him?

"Truth."

"Oh, come on? I wouldn't make you do bad stuff if you said Dare. Don't you trust me?"

"I do but I don't want to push my luck."

"Wait, that wasn't my question!"

"Too late.", Jason and Percy said and Will groaned.

Nico relaxed again.

He turned to Percy. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Did you ever forgive me for that thing with my dad?"

"Ages ago, Neeks.", Percy muttered, smiling reassuring.

Then he turned to Jason.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Do that superman-pose."

Nico rolled his eyes as Jason sighed and complied.  
Will and Percy laughed.  
Then Jason went towards Will.

No! No, why did Jason go to Will! If he went to Will now, Will would be able to get at Nico!

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Give Nico a quick neck massage."

Nico gulped.  
Will chuckled and went over to him.  
Nico instinctively stiffened.

"Aw, Neeks, don't act like that. I'm a healer, I give good massages."

He put his hands gently at the sides of Nico's neck.  
He had nice, warm hands.  
Carefully, he started to massage him.  
Actually, it felt really good.  
Nico slowly began to relax.  
Maybe this hadn't been mean of Jason, after all.  
Maybe he had just wanted Nico to relax a bit.  
After all, he was here with friends.  
Nothing to worry about.  
He sighed and relaxed against his touch slowly.

Will chuckled quietly, continuing to massage his neck and shoulders softly.

"Like this?"

Nico nodded quietly.

"Good.", he flopped back onto the seat and looked straight at him.

"Truth or Dare?"

Damn it.

"Dare...", he muttered, not having a choice.

He hated this game.

"Do a neck nibble on Jason."

"What?", Jason asked surprised.

"Will.", Percy warned.

Nico blushed.

"Oh, come on, let's make this a little bit fun. Or do you think you can't do it, Neeks?"

Nico made a face and looked over to Jason.  
He definitely hated this game.  
He sighed defeated and went on all fours, not being bothered to get up when Jason was so close anyways.

Jason looked at him rather surprised but then presented his neck quietly, looking sideways, slightly pink in the face.  
Nico swallowed and narrowed the space between his lips and Jason's skin.

He had never done anything like that.  
He sure hoped he wasn't making a fool of himself now.

Cautiously, he placed his lips on the sensitive skin, pretty much kissing it, just to then lick over it softly and nibble slightly.  
Jason stiffened.  
Nico hesitated.

He felt Jason's hand on his thigh, slightly squeezing.

He took that as a 'Go on' and continued carefully.

He started working his way down Jason's neck, gently nibbling on his skin and sucking slightly, though trying not to leave a mark by accident.  
This felt weird.  
Not exactly bad weird but definitely weird.  
Especially with Will and Percy watching.

He found a soft spot between neck and shoulder and concentrated on that for a bit, making Jason shift slightly.

Too much?

He pulled back slowly.

"Like that?", he asked, knowing his face must be bright red.

Jason was pink in the face as well and shifted again, huffing slightly.  
They both looked around at Will, who was grinning broadly, nodding.

"Definitely. That was hot. It's certainly interesting watching Jason lose his cool."

Nico felt the heat spreading through his body and hastily went back to his place, looking worriedly at Jason.  
When Jason noticed his gaze he smiled reassuringly.

"Truth or Dare?", Nico asked him, knowing he'd have to take truth.

"Truth."

"Are you ok?"

Jason chuckled.

"Yeah. Don't worry, you did a pretty good job."

Nico flushed but had to smile nevertheless.

"So, Percy. Truth or Dare?", Jason asked, touching his neck slightly at the spot Nico nibbled on.

"Truth."

"Do you really think you could beat me in a serious fight?"

Nico rolled his eyes, his flush slowly subsiding.  
Those two.

"Hm, truth be told, I'm not sure. But I know Nico could."

Jason and Percy grinned at each other, then looked around at Nico.

Nico blinked. Then he chuckled.

"You do know you just said I'm stronger than both of you, right?"

"Neeks, you just have to put on your pouting face and everybody would gladly throw themselves at your feet.", Will told him chuckling and he flushed again.

"You're all idiots.", he muttered, though inwardly pleased.

Percy turned to Nico.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Hm…what would your perfect day look like? As in, what would you do?"

Nico blinked.  
What would a perfect day be like?  
He felt his hand touching on his earring again, thoughtful.  
His mind drifted off to his admirer.

No, he shouldn't think like that right now.  
He shrugged.

"I don't know. Probably something like all of us doing something together. I really like that. So, yeah…"

He had pretty much just stated that any day with the three of them was a perfect day for him.  
Well, it was the truth…

Percy smiled fondly at him.  
Jason and Will did as well.  
Nico turned towards Will.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Nico thought for a moment.

What could he ask him?

The others always asked interesting or at least funny things.  
With his questions though, he didn't really find out anything new about his friends.

"Does it bother you that you're a healer instead of a fighter?", he asked after a while.

Jason and Percy looked up at Will, curious.  
Will blinked, surprised.

Then he smiled and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I know I suck at fighting, and I really do enjoy healing people and helping them. Though, I admit that when I see you guys train like that I feel kind of bad for not being able to take much part in it."

For a moment, there was silence

"But that was a mean question. Percy, Truth or Dare.", Will then said, turning to Percy, who made a face.

"Dare.", he said, not exactly happy, but not having a choice either.

Nico wondered vaguely whether he simply should have asked something like 'Do you like winter?'.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be mean to Percy now, making him neck-nibble anyone or similar.

"Imitate your favorite sex position for 2 minutes."

Silence.

Nico gaped at Will, who was smirking maliciously at Percy.  
Jason put his face in his hands.  
Percy stared back at Will.  
He seemed initially surprised, but Nico knew his pride wouldn't allow him to refuse.

"Sure. Who will be my partner though? You?"

Will hesitated.

"Hm…rock paper scissors, looser got to do it?", Will then said, turning to Nico and Jason.

Jason made a face. "Why don't you just do it, Solace?"

"Nah, I'm not a good bottom."

Nico flushed, hoping inwardly that he wouldn't have to do it.  
Jason frowned at him and they did the first round.  
If he won this round he'd be out of this whole thing.

He tried to think hard and fast, figuring out what Jason and Will would most likely choose.  
Or would they decide for what they thought he'd least expect?

He hated Rock Paper Scissors.  
He always lost at it.

Jason put up Paper.  
Nico put up Paper.  
Will put up Scissors.

Damn it.

Will grinned broadly and pulled back.  
Jason and Nico looked at each other.  
Percy drew a sharp breath.

Nico inwardly groaned but only concentrated on his hand.  
There'd be no way Jason would take the same thing twice, right?  
So what should he do?

Scissors would be pointless if Jason didn't take paper.  
So Rock?  
But what if he did take Paper?

He put up Rock.  
Jason held up Paper.

Shit.

Nico paled and looked around at Percy, who stared at him for a moment.

What was that expression?  
Shock? Surprise? Disbelief?  
Well, it probably fit Nico's.

Damn it.

Why him?!  
He hated this whole fucking game!

Will laughed loudly. "Oh gods, Neeks, today really isn't your day, is it? Ok then, get going, Percy. I'm curious."

Jason threw Nico an apologetic glance.  
Nico only wanted to roll up into a ball and die.

Imitate favorite sex position.

What the hell.  
Where did Will come up with such things anyways?  
Percy awkwardly shifted, making space for Nico to join him in his corner.

No way.

Nico was still stiff as a board as he slowly moved over to where Percy was.

"Sorry, Neeks.", he muttered quietly but Nico shrugged, sitting down, wondering what he was supposed to do.

Percy looked at him awkwardly, a blush spreading on his cheeks now as well.

"Erm…"

Nico didn't know who was more flustered right now.  
Probably him.  
But Percy turned redder by the minute as well.

"You do know the timer doesn't start until you're actually in the position, right?", Will called, chuckling.

Jason glared over at him.  
Percy and Nico flinched.

"Well…how do you want…this…?", Nico asked, forcing his voice out calm.

He had almost said 'How do you want me', but that sounded so wrong in so many ways.  
Percy cleared his throat.

"You…can you turn around? Upper body down, lower body up…"

Nico flushed a dark red and chose not to reply.  
His voice would have probably come out in one giant squeak.  
He turned around and complied, closing his eyes embarrassed.

He hated Will.  
Him and his stupid ideas.  
Maybe he should glare at him.  
No, he rather didn't want to look at anything right now.

He hid his face in his arms and put his backside up.

This. Was. The. Most. Embarrassing. Thing. Ever.

Percy tentatively put his hands on Nico's hips and he shivered.

"C-Can you spread your legs a bit?"

Nico complied, still hiding his face, not daring to make a single sound.  
He felt Percy's body getting closer.  
Everything inside him wanted to run away.  
He stiffened as their bodies connected ever so slightly.  
For a moment, there was silence.

"A variation of doggy? That's sweet. Now start humping, Percy, you can't imitate a position with just staying like that."

Jason made a hissing sound.  
Percy's hands twitched on Nico's hips.  
Then he tentatively pushed.

Nico bit his lip, happy his face was hidden from sight.  
This could not be.

Why was he actually reacting to it?!  
He could feel his insides churning and filling with want.

No, not now.

He could also feel himself getting hard.  
No way whatsoever!

Percy humped him, though he made sure their bodies barely connected.

"Seriously, you're enjoying this, aren't you, Solace?", Percy muttered and Nico noticed how he was slightly huffing.

Will chuckled. "It's definitely cute to see you two so flustered about it."

Nico's head shot up, glaring at him.

"Don't you dare make…fun…of…this…", he muttered, though his anger flared as Percy kept humping him and he bit his lip, pushing out the last words meekly and looking around at Jason, who had his gaze fixed on the timer.

He turned his gaze slightly towards Percy and instantly regretted it.  
Intense sea-green eyes locked with his.  
Percy bit his lip and Nico could feel his hands tremble on his hips for a moment.  
Nico shivered and dropped his head hastily again.

"I'm not. Honestly, I'm not. Actually, I'm jealous of Percy right now. Plus, I think it's pretty brave of you to go with it. I would have expected you to pull out.", Will exclaimed, holding up his arms defensively.

But Nico wasn't really listening.

"One minute left.", Jason said quietly.

Nico tried to get his body under control.  
Why did it turn him on when Percy humped him because of a dumb dare?  
It's not like this meant anything.  
Why was he reacting to it like this?  
And why was time running so slowly right now?  
Usually, two minutes were over in a flash.

Why not now?

Percy's hand moved on his hip and he found himself shivering again, unintentionally moving backwards, causing their bodies to collide briefly.  
A lot more than just the feeble brushing of their fabrics.  
Percy's grip tightened for a splint second, then he instantly let go of him, jumping back.  
Nico was relieved, confused, slightly hurt and utterly flustered all at the same time.

Had it been his imagination or had Percy been hard?

"Whatever, we're done.", Percy snapped and dared the other two to say anything.

Nico instantly sat back up, looking back at Percy wide-eyed.  
Percy now intently stared downwards at the floor, his ears burning red, lips pursed.  
Nico scrambled back to his place, hoping nothing was showing.  
He was so worried anyone might notice he didn't even dare to check himself whether anything showed.  
He only knew his pants were annoyingly tight.  
He looked towards Jason and their gazes met for a splint second.  
Then Jason looked over to Will, glaring.

"Meh, fine. Fair enough.", Will said shrugging and grinned at Percy maliciously.

Percy glared back. Then he turned to Jason.

"Truth or Dare." It wasn't a question.

"Dare.", came the immediate reply.

"Whack Will for being an ass."

Jason instantly complied.  
Will whined.  
Percy still looked flustered.  
And Nico only hoped he wasn't looking as whooshed as he felt.

*****

After a few more rounds though, Jason called it an end, to the immense relief of Nico, who instantly hurried off to the bathroom.  
When he got back out, Percy had already left.

"You ok?", Jason asked him quietly as Nico looked towards the door, hoping Percy didn't feel weirded out now.

"Yeah, I'm fine.", he muttered, nodding.

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to do that. All of it. I should have said something."

Nico shook his head. "It's ok. It's not like it was…such a big deal."

Jason sighed.

"Maybe, but it still wasn't ok how you had to do all that intimate stuff while we got away with pretty much doing nothing like that."

Nico felt himself agreeing with that.

He had had to answer whether he'd top or bottom.  
He had had to nibble on Jason's neck.  
He had had to get humped by Percy (though it had been Percy's dare, not his).

But he still shook his head.

"It's ok."

"No, it's not. Next time, we all team up and get Will to do lots of embarrassing stuff to make up for it."

Nico found himself chuckling.  
Really?

Jason smiled down at him. "There, now you're feeling better, aren't you?"

"…Yeah…", Nico admitted, still smiling.

He didn't really intend to play any Truth or Dare ever again in his life, but the thought of them all turning against Will and having him be all flustered and embarrassed certainly cheered him up.  
Not that he was a very sadistic person.  
Or that he really disliked Will (he actually liked him way too much, after all, even with him being so…well, with him being the way he was.)

But it would kind of be revenge for always making Nico all flustered and nervous.

"What are you two talking about?", Will asked, coming over to them.

"Justice.", both replied and grinned at each other knowingly.

"Why do I have the feeling that means something bad for me?", Will said drily and didn't look very thrilled.

They chuckled.  
An hour later those two were still around, because Jason seemed to not want to leave Will alone with Nico, while Will wanted exactly that.  
Nico didn't know whether he wanted to be alone with Will either.  
He hadn't been alone with him ever since the day they had kissed.

He was still worried what Will thought about it.

But hey, at least he was bisexual, so it wasn't as if he was going to blame it on Nico or anything.

Then again, he couldn't really do that anyways, because he had initiated the kiss.  
Still, Nico didn't want to talk about it.  
It made him feel like a slut.

Jason worriedly looked around at him as he sighed deeply and wanted nothing than to go to bed.

Couldn't Will just leave with Jason?  
Couldn't Nico just let Jason leave and get it over with with Will?  
He groaned and looked pointedly at Jason, then at Will.

"I don't want to be rude, but I think I'll kick you out now. I really want to just go to bed."

He was simply going to kick them both out.  
Problem solved.

Jason nodded quietly and got up, looking around to Will, who had also gotten up.  
Nico decided to at least bring them to the door.

Which was a mistake.

"Erm, Jason, can you go ahead? I want to have a word with Nico. Alone.", Will muttered and stood in the doorway.

Jason hesitated for a moment, looking towards Nico.  
Nico only sighed and gave a small nod.  
Jason really was a great guy, wasn't he?

They watched as Jason slowly walked away towards his cabin.

Then Will turned around. "Nico, I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Nico blinked. "For what?", he asked, frowning.

Will chuckled, coming closer. "Well, for the game for instance. It did seem rather unfair on your part."

Nico looked sideways. "That was mostly your doing, you know."

Will chuckled. "I noticed. But it was simply too tempting, Neeks. You are so adorable when you get flustered like that. That with Percy, that was completely unforeseen. I had hoped for Jason to be the lucky one. That'd have been fun to watch. Though it was interesting to watch Percy get all flustered as well."

Nico's ears turned red but he tried to push it down.  
This guy!

But right when he wanted to say something, Will put his finger on Nico's lips.

"And…I wanted to say sorry for…for the kiss…", he muttered, now gently sliding his finger over Nico's lips, gazing at them as if he was thinking about kissing him once more.

Nico's heart was beating way too fast now.

He swallowed. "Y-You don't need to apologize…", he then muttered, pulling back from the touch, looking sideways.

Will only smiled pained. "Nico, it's ok. I guess I really did take it a bit too far. I don't regret it, mind you. You're a pretty good kisser, actually, even though we didn't get to do much."

Nico fidgeted.  
He wasn't sure what to say or do.  
He wanted to say it was ok, but it really wasn't.  
He was surprised about the praise and wanted to return it, but he didn't want to run the risk of Will kissing him again.

Or did he?  
Why was he in such an inner conflict anyways?  
What was his big problem?  
That they weren't dating?  
Why not just ask him then?  
'Hey, Will, would you like to go out with me'?  
Why couldn't he just say it?

Will chuckled. "It's ok, Nico. You don't have to say anything to that. I just want us to be ok again. Without you being all insecure and scared. It's not like I'll do anything you don't like."

The thing was, Nico was worried he might actually like whatever Will was doing.

Not knowing what else to do, he nodded quietly.

Will chuckled. "So, can I get a goodnight kiss, then?"

Nico looked up at him, not sure whether to be horrified, outraged embarrassed or annoyed.  
That guy!

Will laughed as Nico stepped back inside his cabin and slammed the door shut in his face.

"Good Night to you too, Neeks.", he called and Nico could hear him hurrying away, still chuckling.

That guy.  
Unbelievable.

Nico shook his head, his thoughts drifting off to his admirer.  
Was he dragging this out with Will because he wanted to meet his admirer first?  
His heart fluttered at the thought of the notes.

Could Will actually be the admirer?

Neither Jason nor Percy had actually tried to kiss him or anything, and they were straight.  
If Will actually was interested in Nico, could that mean he might be the admirer?  
If so, why couldn't he just say it?  
But did he have to be the admirer for Nico to date him?

No.

But the admirer had gone through so much work to get his attention, to prove his feelings…

Going by that, Nico should really wait for him.  
Then again, he liked Will.  
He really did.

Shouldn't he go based on whom he had feelings for?  
What if it wasn't Will and he would regret not asking Will out now?  
Would Will feel second place if Nico went to him afterwards?

He didn't know.

And the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to think about it.

He went to bed, snuggling close to Mrs. O'Leary.

Even though he was thinking of Will and all that had happened between them, his last thoughts before drifting off to sleep were about his admirer.  
He wondered what he'd write tomorrow.  
And, of course, he wondered what he'd get as a gift.

He smiled fondly.


	15. Day 14: 14th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> Now it's already the 2nd Advent Sunday.  
> Time sure flies, doesn't it?  
> I hope you liked the series.  
> At least I know you like pirates.  
> I love you.  
> I want you.  
> I need you.  
> I need you so much, Nico.  
> When I get to your cabin, it's as if you know I'm there.  
> You always turn towards me, reaching for my hand, wanting to keep me there.  
> Do you know how hard it is to leave you again?  
> I never want to let go of your hand.  
> I hope you like today's gift. Thought it would be useful.  
> Have a nice 14th day of December.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: Tease.'

**Day 14: Sunday**

A chuckle.  
Nico felt a hand gently brushing some strands of hair out of his face.  
He took it, holding it tight.

"Nico…", the voice uttered gently.

Nico tugged on the hand, trying to get the person closer.  
Another chuckle and he felt a body moving closer.

"Really? You know I have to go."

"No…"

"Yes. Didn't we already have this discussion yesterday?"

Nico grumbled.  
He felt a weight next to him in the bed.  
Instantly, he turned towards it, wrapping his arms around the person.

"Nico…"

But he could feel arms wrapping around him as well.  
He snuggled closer, sighing contently.  
Then he felt soft lips against his forehead.

"I wish I could stay with you like this, Nico."

Nico held on tightly to him.  
He could feel himself drifting back off into his dreams.

No~.

He didn't want to.  
He wanted to wake up and find out who this was and just snuggle up to him and be happy.  
He moved his head up, finding his lips blindly with his own.  
He just couldn't resist.

The person hesitated, then kissed back slowly.

Yes…

It felt as if everything inside him was melting away.  
Nico leaned into the kiss, his hands moving up to the persons face.

"Nico…", his voice was a mere huff against Nico's lips.

Nico sighed happily.  
This felt so good.  
He never wanted this to stop.

The person pulled back slowly, taking Nico's hands in his own.

"Gods, Nico, don't make me want you so much right before I have to go."

Nico felt a smile tugging at his lips.  
The person got up.  
Nico let him, though he reached for his hand again.  
He chuckled, softly stroking the side of his face.

"Get back to sleep, you tease."

Nico didn't really want to, but he sighed and turned around.

"I love you, Nico."

Nico muttered something that he himself thought sounded a lot like 'I love you, too'.

Then his admirer was gone.

*****

When he woke up in the morning, he wasn't even upset at letting the person go.  
Well, ok, he was, but not the way he had been yesterday.

It was ok.

He would love to know, but he also loved those nightly visits.  
He went to turn on the light and checked out his bedside table.  
Sure enough, there laid a big rectangular package with a small note on top.

He took the note first, as usual.

_[Dear Nico,_

_Now it's already the 2nd Advent Sunday._

_Time sure flies, doesn't it?_

_I hope you liked the series._

_At least I know you like pirates._

_I love you._

_I want you._

_I need you._

_I need you so much, Nico._

_When I get to your cabin, it's as if you know I'm there._

_You always turn towards me, reaching for my hand, wanting to keep me there._

_Do you know how hard it is to leave you again?_

_I never want to let go of your hand._

_I hope you like today's gift. Thought it would be useful._

_Have a nice 14th day of December._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: Tease.]_

Nico chuckled.  
Yes, he guessed he was a tease.  
Touching his lips softly, he put down the note and took the package.

Heavy.

Before he got to open it, though, there was bickering in front of his door.  
He rolled his eyes, putting the package down.

Before they even got around to knocking, he opened the door.

"Morning, Nico.", Jason greeted, grinning broadly at him.

"Morning.", Percy smiled, though his gaze was already busy travelling down Nico's shirtless body.

Oops.

He let them inside, intending to grab some clothes out of the wardrobe and get dressed, but then he remembered the package and went there instead, flopping back down onto the bed.

Jason chuckled. "Someone is excited about their gift."

Nico chuckled. "No clue what you're talking about.", he lied and passed him the note.

Percy looked over Jason's shoulder, squinting at the creamy white paper.  
Nico began unwrapping the gift in the meantime.  
Slowly taking off the green ribbon, folding it and putting it aside, he watched the two boys read.

Would they ever actually sit down and write something like that every morning?  
He couldn't picture it.  
Jason, maybe, if he knew it was important to somebody he really cared about.  
But Jason wouldn't write like that, would he?  
Percy wasn't that emotional either, also he'd probably rather go through Tartarus again instead of taking up a pen and actually writing something.  
But Will didn't seem like that either.  
It simply didn't fit him.

Nico sighed, looking back down at his package, gently taking off the red wrapping paper without tearing it.

"Tease?", Percy asked, having reached the end of the note.

Nico grinned to himself.

"What did you do?", Jason asked, curious.

Nico put on an innocent expression. "I have no idea."

Jason raised an eyebrow.  
Percy chuckled.  
Nico smirked and looked back down at his gift.  
Then he groaned and fell back.

"You ok? What is it?", Jason asked.

Nico held up the box he was holding.

"Tease.", he muttered, meaning his admirer.

Jason groaned as well.

Percy's face lit up. "Yes! Awesome! Nico, now we're definitely good to go."

It was ice skates.

Nico rolled his eyes, though a grin spread on his lips.  
His very own ice skates.  
Blah, fine, he should probably let it show he liked it.  
Even though he had no clue how to skate.

Percy flopped down next to Nico, looking at him intently. "You don't like it?"

Nico sighed exasperated, though the smirk stayed.

"Course I do. I just love how he calls me 'Tease' and then he gets me skates even though I don't even know how to skate."

Percy chuckled and brushed a strand of hair out of his face.  
Nico closed his eyes at the touch.  
There was something familiar about it.  
But he couldn't pinpoint it.  
Jason flopped down on his other side, grinning at him.

"You're getting better.", he said quietly.

"At what?", Nico asked, frowning slightly.

"Admitting to your feelings.", both Jason and Percy said, smiling at him fondly with that gleam in their eyes.

Nico blushed.

"How?"

"Well, in the beginning you'd try to put on your mask of indifference – which really doesn't work, Neeks, sorry.", Percy explained, taking the box with the skates off Nico and inspecting it.

"And you'd always say things like 'I don't care' or 'It doesn't matter' instead of simply saying you liked something. But now, you actually show your feelings. That's good. Really good.", Jason went on and smiled at Nico.

Nico only chuckled.

"If you say so.", he muttered and pushed himself up, hopping off the bed.

"I'll be in the bathroom. Jason, please keep Percy from breaking the skates in the meantime.", he said and grabbed his clothes, disappearing into the bedroom.

Jason laughed as Percy was a bit slow on the uptake, calling 'Hey!' after him indignantly.

But Nico had already shut the door and locked it.

*****

"No! Don't you DARE let go, Percy! I swear, you're letting go!", Nico yelled, wanting to throw his arms around Percy but that's kind of what he had done the past times, always ending with them stumbling and falling.

Percy laughed heartily. "Don't worry, I got you.", he said reassuringly, but Nico didn't believe a word.  
Percy was obviously a natural, skating backwards while Nico tried to keep his balance.

The skates had fitted him perfectly and he admitted when he managed to actually stay upright, it was quite an interesting sensation.  
Only that he barely remained upright, due to the unbalanced feeling.

He was getting better at it, but it was still weird and he tended to grab hold of anything – or anyone – that came his way as a futile attempt to gain more stability.

It really didn't work out that well, especially when he grabbed random people and held on to them for dear life, ending in both of them toppling to the ground.

Percy guided him, slowly letting go.  
Nico glared at him, but tried to keep his balance himself.  
He definitely was getting better.

Percy smirked at him. "See? It's fun."

Will came zooming by like a pro, almost causing Nico to lose balance.  
Percy helped him and then turned to Will.

"Solace!", he called and hurried after him.

"What? Don't leave me!", Nico complained but he was already rushing after Will, two pro's at work.

Jason came over.

He was one big cheater, always taking off the instant he felt himself losing his balance.  
Which meant he was mostly hovering some inches over the ice, only tentatively setting foot on it every now and then.

"How's it going?", he asked Nico, who was actually managing a lot better compared to earlier.

He shrugged, actually keeping his balance this time.

"I would prefer it if you were with me. That way I wouldn't be the only fail."

Jason made a face.

"Fine, I'll do it, then.", he then said, surprising Nico and setting down on the ice.

Nico stopped, again keeping his balance.  
Maybe he actually had the hang of it now?  
Jason had borrowed skates from the Big House, as had Percy and Will.  
Nico hadn't understood how his admirer could get him skates but not have any himself, but at the Big House he had actually noticed that none of the pairs they had had would have fit him.  
So the admirer must have really done his research.

And know exactly how his feet were shaped?

He watched as Jason tentatively moved and felt the winds around him come to his aid as he swayed.

"Cheater.", Nico teased and Jason looked up at him, grinning sheepishly.

"It's a reflex."

"Of course it is. Come, let's try it together.", Nico chuckled and took his hands, this time him being the one going backwards.

Ironically, he was better at going backwards than forwards, just that he never knew when there was somebody around him and as soon as he tried to look he'd have balance problems.  
He had hugged quite a few trees and fallen in almost any bigger pile of snow already.  
Much to Percy's amusement, but he wasn't exactly making fun of Nico himself, so Nico didn't mind.

They both had their gazes on their feet, slowly moving together across the ice.  
Then Jason swayed and the winds reacted again, just that this kind of pushed Nico away and he stumbled.  
They both fell, Nico being squished beneath Jason.

"Oops, sorry, Neeks.", he muttered, trying to get off quickly.

Nico laughed as Jason fell back onto him due to the lack of balance.  
Jason grinned sheepishly down at him.  
Nico smirked back.

"You do enjoy this, don't you?", Jason asked him quietly, still laying on top of him.

"The skating? Yes. You squishing me? Not so much."

Jason laughed and controlled the winds to take him off him, also lifting up Nico as well, putting him upright.  
They both chuckled and took each other's hands again, continuing to tentatively make their way over the ice.

"Well, fine, I admit, it's not that bad.", Jason muttered after a while.

Nico laughed.  
Percy popped up, joining in.

"You're doing pretty good now, Nico.", he praised, a proud gleam in his eyes.

Nico felt his ears getting hot and was glad he was wearing Jason's beanie hat again.

"Hey, what about me?", Jason complained.

Percy snickered. "You're cheating, so it doesn't count."

"Aww."

They laughed.  
Then Will came over, barreling into them, making them all crash.

"Really?", Nico and Jason called, while Percy couldn't say anything, for his head was currently in a pile of snow.

Will laughed loudly, holding his stomach and not even bothering getting up while watching them trying to get back on their feet.  
Then Percy got out of the snow and Will had to skate for his life.  
Though it was pointless, because Percy simply was the better skater, knocking Will clean off the ice and into the next tree.  
Then he came back over, checking on Jason and Nico and getting them back into it.

"Want to try longer strokes?"

"Sure…", Nico muttered, though uncertain.

Jason flashed him a reassuring smile and they broke contact, Percy claiming him for himself again to teach him new ways of moving.  
Nico really liked skating.  
Of course, it was weird and he sucked at it, but it still was kind of fun.

Especially with his friends.

He watched as Will tried to get to Jason, but Jason – hovering above the ground again like a ghost – easily got out of the way.  
Then he looked at Percy again, who was smirking at him fondly.

*****

After a while, they even managed to skate next to each other.  
Nico surely was a fast learner, he even had to cut himself that.

Percy beamed at him, going in circles around the lake with him and sometimes even switching places or going backwards.  
Sometimes, they'd hold hands, sometimes they wouldn't.  
They passed by Jason, who was on the ice once more with Will helping him.  
He had somehow had a change of heart and helped him out a bit so Percy could show Nico some other moves.

"I swear you're getting better by the minute.", Percy stated and they joined hands again, Nico going backwards.

He chuckled, feeling quite elated because of the compliment.  
And maybe a tiny bit because they were holding hands.  
After another few rounds, they stopped at Will and Jason, switching partners so Nico and Will would be able to go some rounds together.

It was actually really fun.  
All of it.

Will was surprisingly gentle with him, reminding him of the time in the very beginning of their friendship.  
He wasn't sure when Will had become more straight-forward and clingy, if not outright possessive of Nico, always touching him and crossing any possible lines.  
It had just kind of happened, even though he still could be kind and considerate.

Like on their date.

Nico scolded himself.

It hadn't been a date!

Nevertheless, Will had been different when he'd been alone with Nico.  
He was always different when he was alone with Nico.  
Whenever the other two were around, he was the pushiest and least considerate of Nico's borders and simply loved to freak him out and make him blush.  
But when they were alone, he was gently, taking care of him and making him feel good, looking at him as if he was something precious.

"Percy taught you well.", Will called, tearing Nico out of his train of thoughts.

He grinned and they locked hands, Will going backwards, pulling Nico with him.  
They rounded the lake, uncaring of the people around them.

"So what are you two going to do tomorrow?", he asked, making Nico blink.

Ah, yes. Tomorrow he'd be spending his day with Percy alone.  
No, not a date.  
Just keeping his promise.

He shrugged. "He didn't say."

"Aw, shame. Well, maybe he forgot. If so, can I take you out again?"

Nico made a face.  
Will laughed.  
They zoomed past Jason and Percy, waving.  
Then Will grabbed Nico's hips and pulled him up for a moment, skating on in a big circle, making it look as if they were hugging and/or dancing on the ice.  
Nico was taken aback, wrapping his arms around Wills neck for support.  
Will grinned up at him.  
Nico blinked down.  
Then Will slowed down slightly, letting Nico down again gently.

"How did you like that?"

"I didn't know you could lift me up that easily."

"Nico, you are way too light for your age and height in the first place. Anybody could pick you up."

"Maybe, but not while skating."

"True, I'm just that awesome. Do I get a kiss now?"

Nico still had his arms wrapped around Will's neck, their faces actually fairly close together.  
Will had his gaze on Nico's lips.  
It was the same way he had gazed at him the night before, when Nico had wondered whether he had wanted to kiss him again.  
Apparently, he had read the expression correctly, because Will was definitely getting closer.

For a moment, one sweet moment, Nico considered complying.

But then reality hit him again.

They were outside.  
In the middle of the frozen lake.  
Tons of other campers around them.

He squirmed, pulling back from Will's embrace, letting go of his neck and moving backwards, instantly losing his balance and toppling onto the ice.

"Nico?", Jason called over, coming over with Percy.

"Is everything alright?", Percy asked, his gaze travelling swiftly over Nico and Will.

"Yeah, I just lost my balance for a moment, that's all.", Nico muttered, getting back up (he could now do it without help, yay) and brushing off the snow off him, glancing over at Will.

He huffed sulkily and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Nico sighed. Great.

He noticed Percy looking at Will with narrowed eyes.

Uh-oh.

Jason stopped next to him, looking at him worried.  
He smiled up at him.

"How about we do a round all together?", Nico asked, trying to change the mood a bit.

Jason gazed at him, seemingly trying to figure out what was up (because he could never fool Jason) but he smiled and nodded, looking towards Percy and Will.  
Percy was still sizing Will up.

Next moment, Nico was well protected between Jason and Percy, with Will having to stay next to Percy, sighing irritated.  
They went a few more rounds together, then split again, leaving Percy with Nico and Jason with Will again.  
Originally, Jason had wanted to go with Nico, but seeing Percy still seeming peeved, Jason had changed plans in the fraction of a second, pushing Nico towards Percy and going for Will instead.

Nico was feeling both grateful and guilty for it.

Percy still looked him up and down over and over, as if trying to determine what had happened.  
Nico sighed loudly.

"Percy, I'm fine. It's not like I'm made of sugar. Plus, I've fallen plenty of times today already."

Of course, he knew that wasn't what Percy was thinking about.

Percy's lip twitched. "I know that, Neeks. I'm just wondering what he did to freak you out again."

"He said something stupid, that's all."

"What did he say then?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I don't know. You tell me. Should I know?"

Nico switched so he was going backwards, locking their hands and locking eyes with him.

"He said I'm so light anybody could pick me up."

Well, it wasn't a lie.

Percy frowned. "I agree."

"But not when you're skating."

"Watch me."

"Percy, no!"

Percy laughed and got closer, wrapping his arms around Nico's midriff now.  
Nico didn't have to do any skating anymore. His legs were between Percy's legs, allowing him to move them forward at an even pace.

"Looking forward to tomorrow?", Percy asked suddenly, still gazing down at Nico with that rather indistinguishable expression on his face.

Nico found himself smiling. "So, you didn't forget?"

"Why would I forget?"

"Will was hoping you would."

Percy made a face. "Nah, I have every intention of spending the whole entire day with you tomorrow."

Nico chuckled, a blush spreading on his cheeks.  
Why was he saying it like that?  
It made him fuzzy inside.

"So, are you looking forward to it?"

"Of...of course...", Nico admitted.

Maybe it was true.  
Maybe ever since his admirer had popped up, he had slowly managed to open up to his friends more, admitting to his feelings and showing them more freely than before.  
Or maybe it was simply that one wasn't really stuck up anymore after being humped by one, having neck-nibbled the second and kissed with the third.

Great, that made Nico sound like a slut.

"I'll pick you up in the morning then. What time would you like?"

Nico shrugged, surprised at Percy actually asking him this.

"How about 8am?", Percy offered.

Nico smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me. What are we doing?"

"That'll be a surprise."

"Sounds fishy."

"Ha-ha.", Percy deadpanned at the pun and smirked at Nico.

Nico smiled back.

Then they joined the others and spent the rest of the day skating and laughing.


	16. Day 15: 15th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I love you.  
> I need you.  
> I want you.  
> You're the best thing that ever happened to me.  
> I wanted to write more and a bit more detailed, but a certain someone didn't give me much time to write ;)  
> You're still a tease.  
> Hope you liked the skates. You certainly know how to use them now.  
> Good job.  
> I hope you'll like today's gift.  
> Have a nice 15th day of December, Nico.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer'

**Day 15: Monday**

Nico felt a weight at the side of his bed and turned towards it, instantly wrapping his arms around the other person.

"Really?", came the voice again and Nico hummed.

He found his hand and squeezed it lightly.

"Nico...", he whispered, making Nico sigh.

Then he felt the lips on his own again.  
Mmh.

"I need you.", the person muttered quietly, kissing him again.

Nico wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around him and keep him pressed against his body forever.

"But I really shouldn't molest you when you're to 80% asleep.", the person said and pulled back.

Nico wailed, momentarily fighting against the sleep.  
The person seemed to notice, for Nico could instantly feel hands on his face, softly caressing his cheeks.

Then he kissed him softly again. "You're so adorable, Nico."

Nico tried to snuggle closer, but the person kept him down in the pillow.  
He chuckled again.  
Nico liked the chuckle.

"If I lay down next to you, will you go back to sleep?"

Yes. Absolutely.  
Anything for that.  
He must have nodded or made an approving sound, for he could feel the weight lift off the bed for a moment, just to then lift his blanket and sneak beneath.  
Nico's heart raced in his chest.  
They were so close.  
He snuggled up to him instantly and felt his arms wrap around him.  
Mmh.  
This felt so good.  
Nico hid his face at the person's chest, feeling the chuckle rather than hearing it.

"I love you so much, Nico."

Nico hummed again, rubbing his face against him and drifting off into deeper sleep again.  
If only the person would stay forever.

*****

When Nico woke up, he was alone in bed.  
Though he wasn't very surprised at that.  
He looked towards his bedside table, finding the gift and note on it as usual.  
It would be so weird waking up after Christmas and not having something lie there.  
Then again, by that time he might actually have somebody lying in bed with him, so he didn't mind much.

He took the card gingerly, squinting at it in the dim light around him.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I love you._

_I need you._

_I want you._

_You're the best thing that ever happened to me._

_I wanted to write more and a bit more detailed, but a certain someone didn't give me much time to write ;)_

_You're still a tease._

_Hope you liked the skates. You certainly know how to use them now._

_Good job._

_I hope you'll like today's gift._

_Have a nice 15th day of December, Nico._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer]_

Nico chuckled and looked at the gift of the day.  
He wasn't even going to try to guess what it was.  
He would never succeed anyways.  
It was soft and light, but rather big.

He shrugged and opened it carefully.

"Ha-ha. Very funny.", he chuckled and held up the blanket.

A note tumbled out.

_[Colorful dreams, Nico]_

He laughed and put the note in his bedside table to the others.

Seriously?

It was a big throw blanket in a Christmas red color with green trees and white snowflakes on it.  
So much color.  
Completely unlike him.

Yet he still found himself liking it.

It felt so nice and soft and instantly warmed to the touch.  
He couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to lie beneath it with his admirer.  
They certainly wouldn't need clothes anymore.

He blushed and put it down on the bed, resisting the urge to snuggle up in it and going back to bed.  
Instead, he got up, checking the time.

It was 6:45am.

Enough time to take a long hot shower and get ready for Percy.  
He really wondered what they were going to do.

*****

Percy was actually on time.  
Knowing Percy, that was pretty unusual.  
When he let him in, Percy noticed the blanket immediately and laughed. "Really? Well, it certainly adds some color to this place."

Nico acted hurt.

"I don't know what you mean. This place has plenty of color in it. Didn't you know that black holds all the colors of the rainbow? This place practically sparkles."

Percy first looked at him stunned, then laughed.  
Then he grabbed Nico and threw him on the bed, wrapping him up in the blanket and tickling him through it.  
Nico laughed and tried to free himself.

"Never. I'm the Ghost King! You can't keep me locked up here."

Percy chuckled. "Watch me."

He kept tickling him until they were both out of breath.  
Then they grinned at each other, Percy sitting on top of Nico, Nico just laying there, his arms still stuck inside the blanket.  
Percy chuckled and leaned closer over him.

"Ready to go then, Ghost King?", he breathed, inches away from his face, connecting their foreheads slightly.

Nico felt the heat rising in his face and tried to nod tentatively.  
There was this certain something in Percy's eyes.  
A sort of gleam.  
But Nico couldn't identify it.

Percy smiled and pulled back slowly.  
Nico found himself moving with him, but then stopped himself, blinking.

What the hell was he doing?

Percy got off him, helping him out of the blanket chuckling.  
He didn't seem to have noticed.

Good.

*****

They started out normally enough, walking across the Camp, Nico taking a few more shots with his camera.  
Since yesterday had been his first time ice skating, he hadn't dared taking it with him, fearing he might break it.  
Going by the amount of times he had fallen, that had been a wise decision.

They sat down at Nico's table together, sitting rather close to each other and laughed a lot, talking about old quests and other unimportant things.  
Percy had insisted on feeding him bits of his food as well as Percy's.  
Nico didn't mind, though he was a bit flustered about the fact that they only used Percy's fork.  
Though Percy didn't seem to mind whatsoever.

He just kept talking, feeding Nico and looking rather happy.

Nico could do nothing but smile. He simply looked so endearing.

Afterwards, they went for a stroll around the Camp again, just walking next to each other and talking, chuckling and laughing.  
Then Percy walked towards Thalia's pine. Towards the exit of the Camp.

"Where are we going?", Nico asked surprised but Percy only chuckled.

"You'll see. Though we do have to borrow your chauffeur."

Nico only shook his head amazed, wondering what the hell Percy had planned for them.  
As they left the Camp, Nico called Jules-Albert and was quite amused at Percy communicating with his zombie driver in hushed voices.

Good thing Jules-Albert didn't say much in general.

They both got onto the backseat, with Percy sitting right next to Nico instead of at the other window.  
But Nico found he didn't mind too much.  
Percy didn't push himself onto him or anything.

He just sat close enough so their legs occasionally brushed against each other and talked, though Nico noticed how he was doing most of the talking now while Percy just gazed at him and listened, a soft smile on his face.

"But really, where are we going?", Nico asked, looking out the windows.

Percy chuckled. "Damn, Neeks, and you tell me I'm impatient. Just wait and see."

"I already have to wait 10 more days to find out who loves me. That takes up all my patience already, I fear."

Percy chuckled. "Fair point. But I still want to surprise you."

Nico rolled his eyes, but smiled nevertheless.  
He was kind of excited.  
Maybe that's why Percy wasn't telling him where they were going.  
So he could suffer from even more anticipation and excitement and the thrill of not knowing.

It was cruel, really.  
Yet Nico loved it.

"Tell me the story with Bessie again."

"Really? I've told you that so many times already."

"You've told me twice, Percy."

"Then why do you want to hear it another time?"

"It's funny. And I love the way you always get all emotional and animated when you talk about that."

Percy shook his head, chuckling. "Fine. So I was sleeping at night, when suddenly..."

"Suddenly Blackjack appeared and talked to you."

Percy laughed. "See? You already know the story."

"It's still amazing. I mean, just think about it. You've had all this work and training and whatnot at Camp during the day, yet you leave in the middle of the night to save animals in need. I just think it's really, really great of you."

Percy gazed at him quietly for a moment, stunned.  
Then he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his ears slightly pink.

"Really, it's not that much of a deal."

"Not to you. But to the animals it surely is. So, Blackjack appeared to talk to you.", he reminded him and Percy chuckled, continuing on the story.

Nico watched him talk with a dumb smile on his face.  
He really loved watching him talk.  
Whenever he talked about something he really cared about or completely couldn't believe, there was this passionate gleam in his eyes.  
Nico could watch him all day.

"And then you named it Bessie."

"Yeah, I thought it was a female. It looked like a cow, after all."

Nico chuckled.

"And then you met male Bessie again at the dam snack bar."

They both laughed.  
Then their ride stopped.  
Nico blinked.

He had completely forgotten they were going somewhere.  
He looked around outside.

Then he laughed. "Really?"

Percy grinned broadly. "Yes. Yesterday I taught you how to skate with tons of people around. Today, I'll skate with you alone."

They were at a frozen lake in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees.  
How Jules-Albert had found a road to here, he had no idea.  
Well, there definitely wouldn't be any other people around.

He looked around at Percy's backpack.

"Now I'm not surprised you hung back at my cabin, telling me you need to redo your shoelaces."

Percy grinned sheepishly. "I didn't want you to notice me packing your skates. So, how about it? Ready to go?"

They did.

It was a beautiful place, what with the trees around it and the sun in the sky, making the snow glitter.  
Though the place gave Nico a weird, intimate feeling.

They took their time walking around first, exploring and taking pictures of everything around them as well as each other and some pictures together.  
Then they even tried walking on the ice with their shoes.

It felt weird.

Percy of course had no trouble with it, but Nico found himself holding onto Percy's arm slightly as they tried walk across the frozen surface of the lake.  
Percy didn't mind, putting his arm around Nico's waist to keep him steady.

Then he randomly ran off.

"Percy! You're so mean!", Nico called after him, being left alone in the middle of the lake.

But Percy merely laughed and gestured for him to come to him.  
Nico rolled his eyes chuckling, trying to walk over there or at least act as if he was skating, just without the skates.  
Actually, it worked out quite well.  
Just that he didn't know how to stop and slid straight into Percy, knocking them both into the ground.

"Hehe, not bad, Nico. As I said, you're a really fast learner.", Percy praised him as Nico laid on top of him.

Nico chuckled. "Really? I just knocked you down."

"Nah, I could have caught myself if I had really wanted to."

"Of course."

Then Nico noticed they still hadn't gotten up.

"Isn't this getting really cold for you?", Nico asked, beginning to move.

But he found Percy's hand on his lower back, holding him there.

"Not at all."

There was something in Percy's gaze again.  
Nico found himself getting lost in those sea-green eyes.  
Their faces inched closer.  
Nico's gaze dropped to Percy's lips for a moment.  
They sure did look inviting.  
He looked back into his eyes.

There was something hungry, wanting in them.

Yes.

His gaze hushed back down to Percy's lips.

They were only mere inches apart now.

He blinked.  
Wait.  
What?  
No!

He pulled back, growing red in the face.

"Erm...should we get the skates on, then?", he asked, breaking the moment and trying to get up.

He felt Percy's arms on his for a moment, keeping him there.  
Their eyes met.  
Percy took in his startled, flustered expression.  
He let go of Nico slowly, looking maybe a tad disappointed.

"Yeah, sure.", he replied, easily getting up as well and helping Nico.

His touch was gentle and timid, as if he was worried Nico might scram.

Nico didn't.

They went back to the place where they had dropped off the skates to really start skating.  
Nico found he already managed much better to get onto the ice now.  
At Camp, the first thing he had done was stumble over and fall, kissing the ground.  
Now, he managed to get onto the ice no problem, tentatively stroking forward.  
He actually kept his balance easily.  
Percy was instantly behind him, grabbing him by the sides and grinning down at him.

"Good job.", he whispered, pushing them both forward.

Nico smiled and they began skating together in unison, Percy behind him.

*****

It really didn't get boring whatsoever.  
Nico might have thought it would be, because after all it was just like walking around on your feet.  
But it really was just fun taking turns skating backwards or skating into opposite directions, high-fiving whenever they came across each other again.  
Once they even started playing tag, which had resulted in Percy running into him at top speed, knocking them both flat to the ground and Percy's face at the crook of Nico's neck.  
He had actually liked that.

He had also liked how Percy had pushed himself up with his arms, smirking down at Nico.  
He hadn't pushed himself onto Nico whatsoever.

Then again, he wasn't Will.  
And he was straight.

After several hours, Nico decided to just flop down in the middle of the lake and lay down on the ice.

"Uff...Percy, I am so not going to be able to move tomorrow...", he muttered, staring up at the sky.

Percy chuckled and came over, sitting down next to him.

"That's ok. We can just watch Pirates of the Caribbean again in your cabin and give you food. Like when you pouted about your admirer not staying with you to let you see him."

Nico made a face. "Well, I was upset, ok? I was, like, SO close to finding out who he was."

Percy snickered. "I think that you wouldn't have looked. Even if you'd been completely awake, you probably still wouldn't have looked."

Nico blinked. "What makes you say that?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know. It's just a feeling. You know how much it means to him to do this for you. And I know you always think of other people first. I just don't think you'd really look, even if he was there with you when you woke up."

Nico gazed into the distance for a moment.  
Thinking about it, he probably really wouldn't peek.

He sighed, defeated. "Fine, fair point. I probably wouldn't."

Percy chuckled. "But you're serious about him, aren't you? I mean...you'll give him a try, won't you?"

Nico frowned. "Of course I'll give him a chance. Whoever he is, it takes a hell lot of a person to pull something like this off."

"You bet. Got a hunch yet who it might be?"

Nico hesitated.

Then he sighed. "I try not to think about that. I like all three of you. Of course, I try to not think of you in that way since you're pretty much straight and all...well, except Will, I suppose, but same difference."

Percy chuckled. "You're so clueless."

Nico blinked.  
Clueless?  
About what?

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Aren't you getting cold?"

Coming to think of it, he kind of was.  
He sat up and found Percy brushing a strand of hair out of his face gently.  
Nico found himself smiling slightly.  
Percy smiled back and then got up, reaching out his hand to him.  
Nico took it.

"So, ready to go to the next stop?"

"Wait, there's more?"

Percy laughed. "You didn't really think I'd take you out skating all day, did you?"

"Erm...actually..."

Percy made a face and Nico chuckled.

Then he pulled him with him, getting them off the ice.

*****

Ten minutes later, they were back in the car, Jules-Albert driving them to another surprise destination.

It was late afternoon by now, so Nico really didn't know where they'd be going.  
He just hoped it wasn't something where he needed to actively do anything, for else he would really not be able to get up tomorrow.

Of course, he didn't tell Percy.  
He didn't want to upset him in case he had indeed planned something like that.

But his worry was for nothing.

"A cinema? We're watching a film?"

"Yup. And we still got half an hour time. Enough to get some popcorn and nachos."

"What are we watching?"

Percy only winked and pulled him inside. "I'm fairly sure it won't be to your taste completely, but I'm also fairly sure you'll find it pretty amusing."

Well, at least it wasn't a romance or the like.  
Percy ushered him through the place and made him pick whatever he would like to eat while getting the cards and then coming over to grab himself a popcorn and nachos, as well as pay for it all.

"You...you really don't have to pay for everything, Percy.", Nico mumbled, flustered as the lady at the cash register looked at both of them in turns and smiled broadly, winking at Nico in that 'You got a cute boyfriend there' type of way.

He hadn't had a chance to correct her, though, for Percy had pulled him onwards with putting his hand on Nico's lower back.  
Which kind of seemed to equal 'Yes, this is my man, bitch', for the woman had squealed as they had walked away and ran over to her coworker, talking excitedly and pointing at them.

Nico had never really seen anybody react like that to a gay couple, but he certainly preferred it to the usual expressions of disgust.  
Though he had been pulled out of his thoughts by Percy, who had been oblivious to the whole scenario and poked him in the ribs, asking what he was looking at.

Bless that dork.

They were watching 'The Santa Clause'.

When Nico realized this, he wasn't sure whether he should be groaning or laughing.  
At least it wasn't 'Finding Nemo'.  
He knew Percy could watch that film, like, every day.

All day.

For an eternity.

They put all their food in the little space between them, trying to fit it all.  
Percy had the nachos and a medium sized popcorn, as well as a coke (though not blue), while Nico had picked himself vanilla popcorn, another coke and a box of crunchy M&Ms that he usually ate at home as well when they watched film.  
As they watched the film, Nico became more and more aware of the fact that Percy was getting closer slowly.

He had even managed to put an arm around him too at some point.

Probably when he had bent over to pick up the lid to his M&Ms that Percy had dropped by accident.

Now he wondered if he had actually dropped it 'by accident'.

He glanced at Percy out of the corner of his eye, his eyes intently on the screen, grinning at the scene.  
Nico had to smile just looking at Percy grin.

Great, it was official: He was pathetic.

He looked straight ahead again, trying to focus back on the film.  
It wasn't half bad.  
Actually, he had laughed quite a few times already.

He looked down for a moment, stealing one of Percy's nachos.  
He probably didn't even notice.

"I saw that.", Percy whispered in his ear.

Nico stiffened, feeling his breath on his skin.  
Wah, so close!  
Though he wasn't going to let that show.

He put the nacho in his mouth, looking around at Percy.  
The dark-haired acted aghast and pinched him in the side.

"Percy!", Nico hissed, chuckling against his will.

Damn it, why was he so ticklish anyways?  
Percy snickered and let off him, instead taking some of Nico's popcorn and eating it.

"Really? I took one chip."

"Yeah, you did. And one before that. Another one before that. And two more before that. I only took three pieces of popcorn. Let me get two more."

Nico chuckled and let him.

  
*****

He would have guessed they'd go back to Camp Half-Blood after the film was over.

They didn't.

Instead, Percy took him to McDonalds.

"Really?", Nico asked, astonished, though pretty pleased about it nevertheless.

It'd been ages since he had last had something to eat here.  
Percy scratched the back of his head awkwardly, chuckling.

"I thought you might like it…not good?", he asked hesitantly.

Nico gave him an exasperated sigh. "It's great. I've been graving McDonalds for ages."

Percy beamed at him. "Well, then we better get you something."

Percy paid.  
Nico wondered faintly where he'd gotten the money from.  
He had thought Percy was broke?

All they had done today was amazing, but wasn't it also a tad expensive?  
He kind of felt bad about it a bit.

His dad was the god of riches as well after all, so money wouldn't have been a problem to Nico.  
Though he kind of liked the notion.  
It was as if they were actually on a date.

Nico devoured his cheeseburger, pleased to note that it was definitely freshly made.  
He watched Percy eyeing his fries wistfully and raised an eyebrow, pushing them over to him.  
If Percy already paid for his food, he might as well share his fries with him.

Percy chuckled. "Nah, it's ok."

Nico glared and picked up a fry, holding it in front of Percy's face.  
Percy blinked for a moment, then smirked and opened his mouth, letting Nico feed him.  
Nico had to laugh at that, continuing eating his burger while feeding Percy some more fries.

It felt so nice, spending time with Percy like this.  
Just the two of them.  
He had really enjoyed his day with him.

They had taken a few good pictures as well.

He admitted he had momentarily forgotten he even had his camera with him since he had taken it off when he got on the ice.  
But as he had zapped through the pictures on their way to McDonalds, he had noticed Percy must have taken some pictures.  
How, he had no idea, especially since there were even some where they were both on the ice.

Did his camera have a timer or something? He had never actually checked.

They had also done a few in the car, Percy making the funniest faces and pressing Nico against him, making him all flustered and red in the face.  
He definitely had to delete those when he got home and on his laptop.

He really liked his laptop.

The thought reminded him of his admirer.

He looked up at Percy.  
What would it be like if he was the one?  
He shook his head, smiling pained to himself.  
No use thinking about that.  
There was no way it was Percy.

Percy tilted his head. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, just thinking."

"Bout what?"

Nico sighed.

"Oh, I know that sigh. You're thinking of your admirer, aren't you?"

Nico blinked.  
How did Percy guess that?  
What did he mean by 'I know that sigh'?  
He always sighed.  
Hundreds of times a day.

Percy laughed.

"Don't give me that face, Neeks. You have developed a unique sigh for when you're thinking of your mysterious lover. It sounds pained, hopeful and exhausted. Like you're thinking of something that you know you shouldn't think about but still can't help it."

Nico blinked again.  
That…was surprisingly accurate.

He made a face and pushed some more fries into Percy's mouth.

*****

"So, how did you like your day?", Percy asked as they got back to the car, stuffed with food and rather content.

"It was great. I'd have never expected to have so much fun ice skating. Thanks a lot, Percy. For everything."

Percy beamed at him, sitting down right next to him in the car again.

"No problem, Neeks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And you're really pretty good at ice skating."

Nico chuckled and found himself leaning against Percy slightly.  
Before he could pull back, he felt Percy's arm around him, keeping him there.  
Nico felt his ears getting hot but tried to push it down.  
His heart was fluttering madly in his chest.

Their gazes met for a moment.  
Percy was smiling down at him, his gaze gentle.

Nico felt all warm and fuzzy inside and looked away again, looking out of the window instead.

"In summer, I'll definitely have to take you to the beach."

Nico chuckled. "Really? The beach?"

"Yes. It'd be so much fun. I could take you down to the bottom of the sea and take walks with you and we could look at all kinds of fishes and reefs. Maybe scare some kids as well, playing shark.", Percy suggested and Nico could feel him gently caressing Nico's shoulder with his arm around him.

It felt nice.  
Way too nice.

"Why am I not surprised? Though, I think I'd really like that. I mean the bottom of the sea part. Not the kid scaring. I'll leave that to bullies like you."

Percy chuckled and Nico snuggled slightly against him.  
He wrapped his arm tighter around him and placed his other hand on Nico's thigh.

"Where would you like to go?", Percy asked him after some time.

"Hm…dunno. I never really thought of going to a lot of places. Kind of visited most when I practiced shadow-travelling, didn't I?"

The car was going pretty slow.  
Looking outside, he noticed they were in some sort of traffic jam.  
Good think the car had darkened windows.  
Nico wouldn't have liked it much if people were watching them like this.  
He felt Percy unbuckling the seatbelts.

"Come here.", he muttered, pulling him towards him so Nico's back was against his chest, while moving backwards so they took up the entire backseat.

Then Percy wrapped his arms around him from behind, keeping him close.  
Nico couldn't even think of anything to say or do, other than to look up at him, slightly pink in the face.  
Percy smiled reassuringly at him.  
Then Nico slowly started to lean back against him, feeling himself relax slightly.

"This is nice.", Percy said quietly after some time, gently stroking Nico's arms and placing his face in Nico's hair.

Nico moved slightly, trying to look up at him again.  
Percy smiled gently at him, a soft gleam in his eyes.

Those eyes.

Nico felt his gaze travelling down to Percy's lips.

His heart thumped.

No, he shouldn't think like that.  
He really shouldn't.

"Nico…", Percy breathed and Nico felt himself shudder at the sound of his voice.

Percy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and Nico could swear his face was getting closer.  
He swiftly turned his head away again.

Percy chuckled. "Are you uncomfortable with this?", he asked quietly, though Nico thought he could detect a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

He hesitated.

If he just said yes, they could break this off and go back to their normal sitting positions and just get home without anything awkward.  
That's what Nico wanted after all, right?  
He felt Percy shift nervously.

"Nah, it's ok.", he muttered, cursing himself.

What was wrong with him?!  
He fumbled with the end of his scarf again, noticing the camera around his neck.

"W-Want to take a few more pictures?", he asked tentatively, moving slightly.

Percy shrugged, letting him out of his hug, looking slightly disappointed.  
Nico turned around to face him, turning on his camera.

"Did you know it has an option to take, like, 40 pictures in a row on a countdown?", Percy asked and Nico blinked.

"It does?"

Percy chuckled and also leaned forwards, showing Nico how to look through the options available.  
If only he had known!

"Want to try it out?", Percy asked, grinning at him.

Nico hesitated, then nodded.  
Percy took over the camera.

"Hey...", Nico complained, but Percy only chuckled.

"Come on, Neeks, I got longer arms than you do."

Nico made a face but gave in, getting closer to Percy, putting their heads together for the pictures.  
But Percy had other plans and pulled him back into a hug.

"Really?"

"What? You let Solace take pictures like this."

Nico opened his mouth in complaint, but then closed it again, not finding a suitable argument.

Damn it.

He sighed and dropped back against him.  
Percy chuckled and held up the camera, putting his face right next to Nico's.  
Right as the camera started taking pictures though, Percy moved.

He kissed Nico on the cheek.

Nico blinked, looking around at him in surprise.  
Percy grinned wickedly at him and leaned down, rubbing their noses against each other.  
Nico blushed and he pulled back.

"Percy, what...", he muttered confused and found Percy chuckling quietly.

His gaze dropped to his lips for a second.  
He gulped, looking back up into Percy's eyes.  
He shouldn't think of that.  
He really shouldn't think of that.  
Absolutely not.

His gaze dropped to his lips once more.

Percy watched him with an unreadable expression, slowly coming closer.  
Nico moved backwards, back towards his original seat, his gaze still switching back and forth between Percy's eyes and his lips.  
His heart was beating so fast in his chest he thought it would leap out any moment.

Percy had a rather seductive smile on his face right now, still approaching him mercilessly, easily getting between Nico's legs.  
Nico felt the door behind him, realizing with a jolt that he was cornered.  
Percy snickered, gently touching Nico's cheek, caressing it.

"Are you uncomfortable with this?", he asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Nico gazed at those beautiful lips as they spoke.  
He knew what he should say.  
He knew what he had to say.  
But he also knew what he wanted to say.

"I...I...", he muttered, his voice shaky, his breath uneven.

He looked up into those mesmerizing sea-green eyes again.  
They narrowed ever so slightly.  
And then Percy reduced the space between them, bringing their faces together.  
Nico felt the rapid rise and fall of his chest as his heart kept thumping loudly, his insides on fire.

Their lips were inches apart from each other.

Then they touched.

Nico practically melted against Percy, returning the kiss instantly, his mind empty.  
Percy huffed, taking his face in both hands and deepening their kiss, seeming elated.  
Nico's arms wrapped themselves around Percy without Nico actually intending to.  
He felt his body getting pushed down into the seat, instantly wrapping his legs around Percy, getting them closer together.

Percy huffed into the kiss, his tongue now asking for entrance.  
Nico parted his lips, too lost in the sensations surging through his body.

Gods, it all felt so good.

As Percy's tongue slid inside, challenging his own, he hesitated for a second, unsure how to react.

He tried to tentatively play with Percy's tongue and found Percy smirking into the kiss, turning the kiss slowly into something more sensual, cautious, taking Nico's inexperience into consideration.

He taught Nico how to move his tongue with challenging it every now and then, starting a dance.  
Nico complied only too willingly, huffing into the kiss.

French kissing was weird, but in an awesome way.

He felt Percy's body pressing against his and sighed contently, feeling the car move again.  
That's when he realized where they were and what the hell they were doing.

He gave a start, pushing Percy backwards.

"What the...", he muttered, horrified, his face turning dark red.

Percy looked rather surprised. "Nico?"

Nico stared at him, his face flushed, his breathing worse than after hours of training.

"I...I..."

Percy reached out, but Nico instantly recoiled.

Percy looked hurt. Really hurt.

He pulled his hand back, looking at Nico with an expression that reminded Nico of a beaten dog.

"I'm sorry...", Nico stammered, unsure what else to say

His mind seemed to be working so fast as to not allow him to get his thoughts together.

What had they done?!

Percy didn't meet his gaze, looking down.

Guilt washed over Nico.  
Tears came to his eyes.  
This was all his fault.

Hadn't he learned anything from the incident with Will?

A tear ran down his cheek.  
He sobbed.

Percy's head shot up.

"Nico, don't.", he came rushing forward, wrapping Nico into a hug.

Nico tried to push him away, but it was pointless.

"Shh, Nico, it's ok. I'm so sorry. Please...", Percy muttered, stroking his back.

Nico still kept sobbing. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have...we shouldn't have...I'm so sorry, Percy...", he cried, hiding his face at Percy's chest.

"It's not your fault, Neeks. I pushed it too far..."

"That's what Will said, too."

Percy stiffened for a moment. But then he continued stroking his back soothingly.

"It's ok, Nico. Just calm down."

"That was my first tongue kiss...", Nico admitted, his cheeks burning though he didn't know why he was just randomly thinking of that while being pressed against Percy's chest, sobbing.

"It...it was?", Percy muttered, surprise in his voice.

Nico didn't know whether he should be chuckling or crying now.  
He nodded against Percy's chest.

"Well...you certainly weren't bad...", Percy tried in an encouraging type of voice.

It didn't really work.

"I...I'm a horrible person...I don't even deserve..."

What?  
This?  
The admirer?  
Everything?  
Anything?

Percy stiffened again.  
Then he kept stroking Nico's back.

"It's ok, Nico. Everything is ok."

"Now things will get awkward between us."

"No, they won't."

"I don't know what to do..."

"Calm down, Nico. Just try to relax. I won't do anything."

"I'm not worried about you doing anything. I'm worried about myself doing something."

Percy hesitated for a moment.

Then he chuckled. "Gods, Nico, you're so...there aren't even any words to describe you.", he muttered, pulling back, laughing.

Nico looked at him rather upset.  
He had stopped sobbing somewhat, though he still felt single tears rolling down his cheeks.  
He wiped them away quickly, but Percy was too busy laughing.

"Really?", Nico asked, quite hurt.

Percy looked around at him, trying to push it down.

"Sorry, but you just...that just...gods, you're so clueless."

Nico tried to glare at him.  
Percy snickered, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair out of his face.

"It's ok, Nico. It really is."

"What about the admirer, though?"

Percy chuckled. "Hey, for all you know, it could be me."

Nico glanced at him quickly, then away.  
They were almost back at Camp Half-Blood.

"Percy...you're straight...how could it be you...", his voice was barely audible, but he knew Percy had heard him.

For a moment, there was silence.

"So, you'd be upset if it was me?", he then asked in a low voice.

Nico's head shot around. "No! No, I'd...I'd..."

What? Love it?

Yes...yes, he would...

He looked away again, red in the face, closing his eyes shut tightly, trying to push the images out of his head.

"There's...there's no way it could be...do you know how hard it is for me NOT to think of you three like that?! Stop...stop saying stuff like that!"

Percy blinked. "Why couldn't it be me?"

"You're straight! You don't write! You HATE writing! You aren't the romantic type – ok, today was actually really sweet, but that's not the point! You...you...you don't even...like...me...that way...", as he spoke, his voice turned from loud to a meek whisper.

Hurt spread through his body.  
He felt himself tremble.  
Jules-Albert stopped the car as they reached Camp Half-Blood.

"Nico...", Percy started, but the second Nico realized they were back, he was out the car and gone.

Great.

His time with Will alone had ended with them kissing and him running back to his cabin.  
His time with Percy alone had ended with them french kissing and him running back to his cabin.  
How the hell was his time alone with Jason going to end? With them having sex?!

He raced to his cabin and ran straight against the door headfirst, fumbling for his keys.  
But his body was already numb so he really didn't feel a thing.  
He pushed his key in the lock and ripped open the door, storming inside and barricading everything again.  
He vaguely wondered how his admirer had gotten in the last time.  
Would he be able to get back in this time again?

Doubt gnawed on him.  
Then guilt.  
The way he was, he didn't even deserve his admirer.  
He slid down at the door, cowering into a ball.

Why did his days with his friends by themselves always start so great and end so horrible?  
Why couldn't he just control his freaking emotions for once?

He opened his aviator's jacket and pulled his legs up, wrapping jacket and arms around himself, staring off into the darkness of his cabin.  
He hated the darkness.  
As his vision adjusted, he saw the Christmas blanket he had gotten as a gift today.

He wished he could grab it and wrap himself up in it.  
It looked so comfortable too.

Instead, he tightened his grip around his legs and closed his eyes, crying himself to sleep.


	17. Day 16: 16th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I love you so much. I know how difficult this whole situation must be to you.  
> I'm really sorry I can't just come out to you. All I can hope for is that you'll understand on the 25th.  
> I need you, Nico. But I also need to do this to show you how much I care for you. How much I love you.  
> Because I don't just want you, I want all of you. Including your love.  
> I don't want you to accept me because I made you fancy gifts, but because you like me, Nico.  
> I hope you liked the blanket. I know it's a bit very colorful, but I took a liking to it. I keep picturing us beneath it.  
> Hope you like the candy. Seriously, so many different kinds D;  
> Have a nice 16th day of December. Only 9 days left.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: I actually fell asleep next to you. If I ever have to pick you up off the floor in the middle of the night again, I will NOT let you out of the bed for the rest of the day AND have a talk to whoever should be responsible for it.  
> P.P.s.: That does not mean you have to sleep on the floor whenever you want me to get into bed with you.  
> P.P.P.s.: Forget the P.P.s., that just makes me sound like a pervert.  
> Love you!'

**Day 16: Tuesday**

"Nico!"

Ah, the voice.  
He liked that voice.  
It was so familiar, yet he could never tell who it belonged to.

Strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground.  
Oh. He must have fallen asleep on it.

"Seriously, what were you thinking? You're freezing cold. Why the hell were you sleeping on the floor?", the voice scolded.

He shivered.  
Yeah, it really was quite cold.  
Nico felt himself being lain down on the bed, something soft wrapping around him, next to his normal blanket.  
Then he felt the person getting beneath the blankets as well, wrapping his arms around Nico and pulling him close.  
Nico leaned back against him.  
He was so nice and warm.  
Then again, right now anybody would be warmer than him.

He felt a face beside his own, gently kissing his cheek and jaw.

"I love you so much, Nico."

Nico felt both need and guilt welling up inside him.  
A whine escaped his lips.  
He didn't deserve this.

"Shh.", came the voice again, hands gently moving over his chest and stomach.

"I love you."

Nico's shoulders began to relax.  
He felt another kiss on his neck.  
Nico leaned back against the person.

"Nico...", the voice whispered and Nico sighed contently.

He heard a chuckle against his ear and began drifting back off into sleep.  
It simply felt too good in his arms.

*****

He woke up to all three of his friends making one hell of a ruckus in front of the door.

"Where's the goddamn key?", came Will's voice.

"Nico? Open the door!", Percy called, hammering against it.

"Percy, what did you do to him yesterday?!", Jason hissed.

Nico groaned.

What?

What time was it?

He looked around to his bedside table and his heart fluttered at the sight of the card and the gift, time momentarily forgotten.  
Tuesday seemed to be sweets day, for it was another cellophane bag filled with goodies.

This time, it seemed to be an assortment of toffee and fudge.

He wanted to grab the card, but the ruckus in front of the door pulled him back into reality and he looked at the time.

It was 11am.

Oops.

He jumped up, grabbed the bag of candy and walked over to the door, noting how he was still completely dressed with jacket and all.

Oops.

He unlocked the door just as Percy and Will seemed to wish to lunge at it.

Nico merely sidestepped them, opening the cellophane bag while they tumbled inside and onto the ground.

"Nico!", all three of them called and went to hug him.

He let them.

After all, he must have worried them beyond belief if they had been up since 6-7am, waiting for him to come around.  
He could practically picture them standing in front of his door the whole entire time, calling for him and trying to find the key.  
He should probably put it back beneath the pot.

"Sorry, guys. I must have overslept.", he muttered and held out the bag of candy.

Jason sighed.

"Well, Percy told us what you two did yesterday, so it's not really surprising."

Nico's eyes widened and he looked around at Percy in alarm.

But Percy only laughed. "Yeah, you should have seen him in the ice. Like a freaking pro."

He winked at Nico.  
Nico felt relief washing over him.  
He still held out his bag to them.

"So, do you want some or should I eat them all by myself? Did anybody get me breakfast?", he asked, watching pleased as Jason, Percy and Will took out pieces of Treacle Toffee, Coffee Fudge and Raspberry Ruffles.

Will eyed him oddly, then looked over to Percy.

Uh-oh.

Nico was about to say something when Jason held out a bunch of folded together napkins out to him.

"Breakfast!", Nico said, way too enthusiastic but not caring right now.

Jason and Will chuckled, while Percy looked him up and down.  
Then he looked over to the bed.  
Nico wondered what he was thinking.  
He devoured his cold toast and Will got him some orange juice while he flopped back down onto the bed.

Jason raised an eyebrow at the blanket. "Interesting design."

Nico grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I know, right?"

Then his gaze travelled to the note.  
He stuffed down the last piece of toast hastily and bit off half of his brownie, giving the other half to Jason who only chuckled and too it.

Then Nico gingerly took the note.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I love you so much._

_I know how difficult this whole situation must be to you._

_I'm really sorry I can't just come out to you._

_All I can hope for is that you'll understand on the 25th._

_I need you, Nico._

_But I also need to do this to show you how much I care for you._

_How much I love you._

_Because I don't just want you, I want all of you. Including your love._

_I don't want you to accept me because I made you fancy gifts, but because you like me, Nico._

_I hope you liked the blanket. I know it's a bit very colorful, but I took a liking to it._

_I keep picturing us beneath it._

_Hope you like the candy._

_Seriously, so many different kinds D;_

_Have a nice 16th day of December._

_Only 9 days left._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: I actually fell asleep next to you. If I ever have to pick you up off the floor in the middle of the night again, I will NOT let you out of the bed for the rest of the day AND have a talk to whoever should be responsible for it._

_P.P.s.: That does not mean you have to sleep on the floor whenever you want me to get into bed with you._

_P.P.P.s.: Forget the P.P.s., that just makes me sound like a pervert._

_Love you!]_

Nico found himself laughing.  
His friends were watching him, Jason with a raised eyebrow, Will startled and Percy surprised.

He held out the note and jumped off the bed.

"I'll get changed."

"What do you mean? You're already dressed.", Will said, frowning as Jason read the note.

"You mean, he's STILL dressed.", Percy muttered, looking over Jason's shoulder at the note.

"Wait, you slept in your clothes? Why?", Will asked.

Nico sighed and shrugged. "It was an accident."

"Like the time you fell asleep in your boxer shorts for your admirer to admire you some more?"

Nico flushed. "That...I...it wasn't like that!", he called and went to his wardrobe, flustered.

He took off his jacket and put it on its usual hook, grabbing some clothes and stomping off towards the bathroom as Will laughed loudly.  
When he was about to shut the door, however, Percy slipped inside.

"Percy, what the...", he muttered, taken aback, but Percy closed the door behind him, locking it.

"Nico, I need to talk to you."

"Percy, not in my bathroom!"

"Yes."

He pulled out Nico's camera.  
Nico blinked.

Great. Second time out with a friend alone and promptly forgetting the camera with them AGAIN.

"Nico, why did you sleep on the floor?", Percy asked, pulling his hand up as Nico tried to take the camera.

Nico scowled. "It was an accident."

"You ran off without even letting me say anything."

Nico turned his head sideways, feeling guilty. "I...you..."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Percy. I guess I lost my head right there. I just...it hurts, you know? It hurts a lot. To imagine oneself with somebody while knowing it will not be. It...it makes you feel...so hopeless...helpless..."

Percy's expression turned soft. "I know...I'm sorry, Nico. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. Actually, I…"

Nico shrugged it off. "It's ok. I'm sorry it had to end that way.", he cut him off and looked away, wanting to end this conversation.

He eyed his camera.  
Percy sighed annoyed, but followed his gaze and chuckled pained, passing it to him.

"I looked through the pictures. You might want to first look through them by yourself before showing them to the other two."

That sounded a lot as if Percy had somehow managed to get a snapshot of them kissing.  
He frowned and started up his camera.

"Percy? What are you doing in there with Nico? I swear, if you're doing something weird...", came Will's voice from the other side of the door.

"Nico? Is everything ok?", Jason called.

Percy chuckled. "I'm just showing Nico the advantages of being able to control water."

"What?! Nico! Don't give up your virginity to that creeper!", Will wailed loudly, hammering on the door.

"Percy, I swear, if you do something to Nico..."

"Guys, he's standing next to me laughing his ass off like a doofus. Everything is fine, he's just being a prick. Now, Percy, get out. I want to take a shower.", Nico ordered and pushed him to the door, his face dark red.

He had found the pictures, all right.  
Out of the forty the camera had taken after one another, the last five showed Percy and Nico, lips connecting, with Nico's face pink and Percy's gaze wanting.  
Since the pictures were tilted, he guessed Percy had dropped the camera when he had begun ravaging Nico.

He so had to delete those.

Percy laughed loudly. "Want me to wash your back?"

"NO!", came the united cry from Will and Jason.

Nico rolled his eyes, unlocked the door and pushed him out wordlessly.

Seriously, that guy.

*****

They all lectured him, of course.  
He let them, knowing they just cared about him.  
His muscles really did ache quite a lot, but he didn't point it out to not upset Percy, who was way too enthusiastic about telling the other two all they did.

Except the kissing, to Nico's relief.

He didn't want to know what Jason would think if he knew Nico kissed both Will and Percy when they had had their quality time together.  
He also didn't want to think of what his admirer would think.  
Whoever it was.

His gaze hushed over to the note.

_'I actually fell asleep next to you.'_

A smile hushed over Nico's face and he wrapped himself up in his Christmas blanket some more.  
He watched his friends over at the drawer with the DVD's, bickering.

Percy was all for going skating again, Will wanted to watch Dr. Who, even though he didn't own the DVD's himself and would have to go begging around the Camp, while Jason wanted to watch Disney's Hercules for some odd reason.

Nico smiled to himself.  
What heroes they were.

He remembered Percy telling him years ago that it was ok to be a child every now and then.  
Well, he had been right.

"How about a game of Mythomagic?", he suggested and all three looked around at him.

"Sure!", they readily agreed.

Nico smirked to himself and watched them hurrying over each other to get to his hiding place first.

They sure were endearing.

*****

They actually managed to play cards by themselves now, though it took them quite some time to decide what to play and then they still misinterpreted the results.  
Percy still didn't understand why he couldn't move with Poseidon first but Nico was pleased to see he didn't want to play any 'Please rape my butt'-cards anymore.

Jason was getting better and better, pulling some pretty good moves and even getting to Nico at one point, though Nico got him back two rounds later, taking most of his points.

Will had most figurines again, but still had no clue as to how to use them correctly.

But at least he didn't want to rid the board off the figurines again like last time.

So, all in all, they made pretty quick progress.

Nico was sitting on a pillow on the floor, the blanket still wrapped around him, looking down at his cards.  
He could finish this game quickly or prolong it.  
He went for prolonging it.

Playing with these dorks was way too much fun.

"So, what did you two do yesterday?", he asked Jason and Will while Percy played a monster card on Will, making 200 points damage.

Not bad.

"Actually, I IM-ed Frank yesterday. Hazel sends you her love and she said Reyna told her to tell you that you better call her soon, she's worried."

Nico hesitated.  
He had thought about calling Reyna and Hazel, but hadn't wanted to trouble them.  
He had a feeling both of them would know instantly something was up and he didn't really know how to explain the whole situation with the admirer.  
Hazel would love it, of course.

She'd be thrilled to find he had not only found a home and friends, but also a person to love him as a partner.  
She had taken the news of his…'preferences' a lot better than he had expected after all.  
Not that that was a bad thing.  
It was great, really.

He had been worried out of his mind she'd try to tell him how wrong it was and whatnot, but she had only hugged him and said she was proud of him to be so brave and tell her.

She took it as an act of trust.  
And instead of it pushing them further apart, it bonded them even closer together.

It was Reyna he was worried about.  
To him, she was like a sister, even if not by blood.  
She cared for him deeply and they had bonded quite a bit during their travelling together.  
She had taken the news similar to Hazel, hugging him and telling him it was ok.  
But she was also quite protective.

He was almost certain she wouldn't take the news of a 'mysterious admirer' very well.

Nico could almost picture her grabbing each of his friends and taking them to Argentum and Aurum for questioning, not letting them off until she knew exactly who it was and why and if his feelings for Nico were strong enough and if it was certain he'd be able to make Nico happy.

Nico sighed.

It wasn't as if he didn't like that. He did.  
He loved it.  
But he was also worried about his admirer.  
Especially if Reyna decided that he wasn't suitable and declared war on him or something.  
He could already picture her sharpening her weapons.

"Thanks, I guess I'll call her later, then.", he muttered, playing a card and thus kicking Will out of the game.

"Gee, thanks, Nico. Well, I went to the infirmary yesterday. Nothing new there. A few wounded kids from the arena, your Ares boy is making great progress with the spear, by the way, but otherwise all is quiet and well.", Will told him and Nico smiled at the thought of Bill.

It was good to know he was doing well.  
His thoughts drifted off to how he used to be when he was younger.  
When Bianca had died and he had found out he was son of Hades.  
By now, he was glad Hades was his dad.

He might be a bit weird by times, but actually, he was really trying to be a good dad.  
Nico kind of felt bad for not having visited him at all lately.  
But with Will forbidding him to use his powers (for good reason, of course) he really didn't fancy travelling across the country just to get to a different entrance to the Underworld.

He wondered faintly whether he should have gotten him a Christmas gift.  
Then again, Hades was not only a god but also the god of the riches of the earth.

So, yeah, he kind of had everything already.  
Plus, if he got him something, he'd have to give Persephone something too.  
If he gave something to Persephone, he'd also have to give something to Demeter.  
And if he started that, he could just as well start giving every god in existence a Christmas gift.

Ok, maybe he shouldn't do it, then.

Not that he had really planned on anything in the first place.  
He looked around at the others, wondering vaguely if they got something for their dads.

Percy met his gaze, raising an eyebrow in question.  
Nico blinked and looked back down at his cards.  
They weren't as awkward around each other as Will and he had been, but it was still not the same.

Then again, every time he looked at Percy, their kiss came rushing back to his mind.  
It had been completely different from the kiss with Will.  
It wasn't as if Percy hadn't been gentle (though he had been a bit more forceful, not to mention demanding), but it had definitely been more…passionate.

Nico shook his head, finishing his turn.  
He shouldn't think of this.

"Are you guys getting your dads anything?", he asked, more to clear his head now than to really get an answer.

They all looked at him, blinking.

"That's…actually a good question…", Percy muttered, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Not really.", Will replied, shrugging.

"Wasn't planning on it.", Jason said, also shrugging.

Nico wasn't really surprised.  
It kind of was to be expected, really.  
What had he thought they'd say?  
He sighed.

"Why are you asking? Thinking of getting your dad something?", Percy asked, curious.

Nico shrugged. "I don't know. It just crossed my mind, that's all. Who wants more toffee?"

He held out the bag to everyone again, taking a Cinder toffee for himself.

Pushing the thoughts of his father and Christmas gifts out of his head, he wondered instead where his admirer got all these ideas from.

*****

After their game of Mythomagic (which had ended in another showdown of Nico and Jason, who was getting help from Will and Percy – though this one prove to be more hindrance than help – but Nico ultimately won because of a dumb move from Jason's side, thanks to Will) they went ice skating again.  
Percy was happily hopping around in front of them, looking like a big little kid on its way to the zoo or something.

It was quite cute, actually.

Nico took pictures of him and the others, as well as the rest of the Camp again. It simply looked too stunning and beautiful, covered in white, glistening snow.  
He also took a picture of the Stoll brothers breaking into the shop again.

Yay for snapshots.

As they got onto the ice, he spotted Bill with a few kids from other cabins, chatting animatedly a few feet away.  
He seemed pretty happy.  
Nico also noticed one of the girls gazing up at the Ares kid dreamily.  
Well, if that wasn't cute.  
Nico grinned to himself and went with Jason, leaving Percy and Will to measure each other's skills once more.

"What are you smiling about?", Jason asked next to him.

Nico shrugged. "Just thinking. So, any plans for Monday yet?"

Jason chuckled. "Well, I've been thinking of a few things, but I haven't settled on anything in particular yet. Though I can tell you it won't be as…action-packed as with Percy."

Nico shrugged and started going backwards again. He really liked that. It felt funny.

"I don't mind. It's not like this is a contest or anything in the first place. As long as we're spending our time together I really don't care what we do."

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, I half expected you to say something like that. But as I said I did think of a few things. I hope you'll enjoy it."

Nico smiled at him, inwardly hoping that, whatever they'd be doing, it wouldn't end with them kissing.  
Not that he wouldn't like kissing Jason.  
He simply didn't want to feel this bad again for kissing a straight friend and make Jason uncomfortable, or make things awkward between them.  
He had kind of done that twice already, after all.  
And loosing Jason as a friend would be worse than horrible.

Percy and Will came whooshing past, almost knocking them to the ground, chasing each other across the frozen lake.

"Take that back, you little shit!", Percy cursed, hurrying after Will, who only laughed loudly and waved towards Jason and Nico in passing.

Jason and Nico just stood there, arms around each other to steady themselves, staring after them.  
They looked around at each other, stunned.  
Then they laughed.

Those guys.

*****

A bit later, they decided to look at the clearing Will had taken Nico to.

As expected, Percy loved it.

"This is amazing! How come I've never found this place?", he asked, looking around at how beautifully the forest seemed to merge with the frozen sea, the glittering snow all around them, a stunning contrast of vivid dark green, brown and white.

"Because I'm awesome?", Will suggested, grinning broadly and winking at Nico, who only rolled his eyes and looked away, trying not to think of their incident here.

So he lifted his camera and happily clicked away.  
He hadn't deleted the pictures with Percy and him yet.  
He had taken them off the camera right away first chance he had, dragging all the pictures into his folder on his laptop.  
But as he had hovered over them with every intention of deleting them, he had found himself unable to do it.

He felt really bad about it, too.

Sighing, he took some more pictures, finding Percy rushing into some, striking poses.  
Nico suppressed a smile and turned away, aiming the lens at something else.  
Percy chuckled and went to get into the picture again.

They made a game out of it.

Jason joined in, trying to fly into the pictures like superman.

Really?

Nico laughed, turning around and around while Will gave instructions right next to him.  
They were so childish.  
Seriously.

They stopped when Jason and Percy changed tactics and simply ran for Nico, toppling to the ground with him and taking a few snapshots of the three of them, with Jason and Percy grinning stupidly into the camera or making faces, while Nico just stared like 'What?!' on all of them.

Except the last one. On the last one, they had both rubbed their faces against his and he had giggled like a girl, red in the face and freaking.

The two loved that picture.  
He would have rather deleted it right away, but they made him swear to print it out for them.

"You look so happy on that one, Neeks.", Will chimed in, making Nico's ears go red.

Will had been too busy rolling on the floor laughing to really get into any of the pictures, but he didn't really seem to mind.  
Instead he looked through the pictures they had taken today.

"Why are there so many of those two and close to none of me? Don't you love me anymore?", he asked after a while, looking sulkily at Nico.

Percy and Jason laughed.  
Nico turned red in the face at the last question.

"T-They just ran in front of the camera for the past 100 pictures, what do you expect?", he muttered, flustered.

The other two chuckled and put their arms around Nico from the sides.

"Plus, we're simply so much hotter than you.", Percy gloated.

"I'm the son of the sun god! I'm the hottest one there is!", Will exclaimed incredulously and looked at Nico for confirmation.

Nico rolled his eyes and freed himself off Jason and Percy's embrace.

"Really, guys? This topic again?"

"Yes.", Percy and Will instantly replied, then looked around at Jason.

He just shrugged. "I'm ok with you two being hot. That leaves me to be the coolest."

Nico couldn't suppress a chuckle.  
They both glared at him.

"So, who's hotter, then? Sunnyboy or me?", Percy asked Nico, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Nico made a face.  
Seriously?

"Nico, tell him I'm the hottest. You know it's true.", Will demanded, looking at him as if he couldn't believe Nico wasn't already doing that.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Fine. In my opinion, the hottest is…"

He looked them both up and down slowly.  
They were looking at him so expectantly.  
A smirk tugged at his lips.

"…the hottest is Leo.", Nico finished, putting his arms behind his head and grinning broadly at their dumb faces.

"What?!", they both exclaimed, incredulously and looked at him devastated, then glared daggers at each other.

Jason laughed loudly and winked at him. "Good one. That'll bug them forever."

"I know, right? So then, how about we go watch Hercules?"

Jason beamed at him.

"Hercules? Really? Why can't we watch Finding Nemo?", Percy asked, the quarrel about being hot instantly forgotten.

"Ew, who wants to watch that? I'm in for Dr. Who. Come on, Neeks, you know you want it.", Will tried to persuade him, but Nico shook his head.

"Nah, I want to watch Hercules. I can't get this one song out of my head ever since Jason said he wanted to watch it today in the morning."

"I won't say I'm in love?", Jason, Percy and Will guessed at the same time.

Nico blinked, ears turning red.

Then he snorted. "Actually, no. It's that other one, called 'Go the distance'. But thanks guys, thanks a lot."

All three of them scratched the back of their heads awkwardly, red in the face.

"Sorry, Neeks…we just thought…", Percy muttered.

"It…kinda fit the situation, you know…", Will continued.

Nico made a face.  
But then he just had to chuckle at their guilty expressions and they left for the movie, grabbing something to eat on the way.  
After all, one couldn't live off sweets and snacks alone.

One needed junk food to go with it.

Blue pizza, fries and burgers for the win.


	18. Day 17: 17th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I swear it's getting harder by the day to tear myself away from you.  
> I love you so much.  
> I want to kiss you, to touch you, to hold you and never let go.  
> I want to take you out on dates, sit at the Camp Fire together holding hands, walk around Camp just talking to you, being with you.  
> I want to watch films with you on my lap, snuggle up with you in bed when you get cold.  
> I want to do so many things.  
> I need you.  
> Hope you like today's gift.  
> Have a nice 17th day of December.  
> 8 days left.  
> I love you,  
> You secret Admirer  
> P.s.: Do you enjoy being cruel to me? Don't make me want you so much every morning. You are such a tease!  
> P.P.s.: You're allowed to make me want you every morning if you accept my confession on the 25th. I'll comply only too willingly in all aspects ;) Oh my gods, I'm such a creep.'

**Day 17: Wednesday**

"Mmh, Nico…"

Nico smirked in his sleep, turning around to meet the source of heat just entering his bed.  
Arms wrapped around him and he sighed contently, snuggling closer.

"You really like this, don't you?", the voice asked him.

Nico nodded against his chest.  
The person chuckled.  
Nico moved his head up and pushed his lips onto his.  
He felt hands on his face, holding him there as he kissed him gently.  
Nico sighed into the kiss happily.  
This felt so good.

Should he be worried?

He was pretty much kissing a mysterious stranger.  
It could be anybody.  
But it just felt too good to stop.

"I love you, Nico.", the voice breathed as they parted.

"Hmm.", Nico hummed, snuggling against the person again.

Warm hands stroke over his back slowly, soothingly.  
The person placed a kiss on his head.

"Sleep well, my angel."

*****

"Can you love a person if you don't even know who it is?", Nico asked as he sat cross-legged on the bed, the card in his hand and wistful eyes on the small gift on the bedside table.

Jason looked around surprised.  
He was the first one over today, even though it was already 8am.  
But that didn't bother Nico, since he hadn't woken up till Jason had knocked on the door.

"What do you mean?"

He sat down beside him, gazing at him with that caring expression.  
Nico could always talk to Jason the best.  
At least it felt like that to him.

"Well, it's like…I know this admirer is supposed to be one of you guys, but I just…it feels like it's a completely different person altogether."

Jason chuckled, looking down for a moment.

"Sometimes, people are different when they are with the one they love than how they are around other people, Nico. Just look at Clarisse. Would you have ever thought it possible she could be kind to somebody? But if you watch her with Chris, it seems like she's a completely different person. That's simply what love does to people."

Nico looked down at the card in his hands, still turned over with the blank side up.  
He hadn't read it yet, too lost in thoughts.

"Don't worry, Nico. Your admirer knows he can't expect you to love him blindly. All he wants is for you to give him a chance."

"I'd already do that if he had just walked up to me and asked, to be honest.", Nico sulked, falling back onto the mattress.

Jason hesitated for a moment.

"Maybe…but that person has loved you for quite a while already, Nico. He wants you to know he really is serious about you. I know this must be extremely difficult for you to handle, but I'm certain it's as difficult for your admirer. Just think about it: He told you he's one of your close friends, knowing you'll have to think of all three of us as potentials."

Nico snorted. "I try NOT to think of any of you as 'potentials'. That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid."

Jason chuckled. "I admire your determination, Nico. Still, what I mean is that he's running a big risk right there and I'm certain he knows it."

"Risk? What risk?"

He looked around at Jason confused.

Jason's gaze was inscrutable. "That you fall in love with somebody else."

Nico let that hang in the air, his gaze still on Jason, yet far away.  
He thought of everything that had happened so far.  
He thought of his three friends and how he thought of them.  
He thought of how he had already kissed two of them.  
He thought of how he kept catching himself at wondering who it could be.

Then he shook his head, a pained smile dancing on his lips.

"That's stupid."

"Not really, unless you're saying you love all three of us."

Nico blushed and looked away.

"W-What the hell?!", he exclaimed, holding up the note and not meeting Jason's gaze.

He started reading to have an excuse not to talk to Jason for a bit.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I swear it's getting harder by the day to tear myself away from you._

_I love you so much._

_I want to kiss you, to touch you, to hold you and never let go._

_I want to take you out on dates, sit at the Camp Fire together holding hands, walk around Camp just talking to you, being with you._

_I want to watch films with you on my lap, snuggle up with you in bed when you get cold._

_I want to do so many things._

_I need you._

_Hope you like today's gift._

_Have a nice 17th day of December._

_8 days left._

_I love you,_

_You secret Admirer_

_P.s.: Do you enjoy being cruel to me? Don't make me want you so much every morning. You are such a tease!_

_P.P.s.: You're allowed to make me want you every morning if you accept my confession on the 25th. I'll comply only too willingly in all aspects ;) Oh my gods, I'm such a creep.]_

Nico's face flushed.

"Seriously...", he muttered, incredulously, but a smile tugged at his lips.

Jason shifted besides him. "Nico?"

For a moment, Nico had completely forgotten about him.  
He cleared his throat and held out the note to Jason, though he did it reluctantly, holding on to the creamy white paper a tiny fraction of a second longer than necessary.  
Jason chuckled and turned to read it.

Nico was glad Jason wasn't asking him about what he had said.

Loving all three of them.

In a way, he did have feelings for all three of them.

There was Percy, who was his first love and who he simply couldn't tear himself away from.  
There was Will, who was like the sunshine to his darkness, quirky and challenging around others, yet caring and gentle when they were alone.  
And then there was Jason, his best friend, the person he could talk about everything with, the person that could make him the most comfortable and happy in that unique way of his.

All three of them were amazing in their very own ways.  
But, if he had the choice, who would he really want the admirer to be?

If he just once pushed the facts away and just pictured those three guys liking him.

Which one of them would he want his admirer to be?  
His stomach twisted.  
His heartbeat quickened.

But right then Jason's chuckle tore him out of his thoughts.

"Well, it certainly does make him sound like a creep. But somehow, I get the impression you like it."

Nico blushed. "W-What makes you say that?"

Jason shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe you simply love that there's actually somebody telling you they want you like that."

Damn it.

Jason had pretty much nailed it.

Nico pressed his lips together and looked away, still red in the face.

"Well...I do suppose it's...nice..."

Jason chuckled. "Gods, Nico, you don't have to be embarrassed about that."

Nico fidgeted with his hands. "It's just...I never had anybody liking me that way before...and it just...it feels..."

He couldn't find the words.  
Jason smiled at him reassuringly, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, Neeks. You don't have to justify yourself. I think anybody would love to be loved like that. There's nothing wrong with that."

Nico looked at him uncertainly for a moment, then sighed, taking the small gift off the bedside table.  
It didn't really have any weight to it, nor was it shaped in a particular way that could indicate anything specific.  
Then again, Nico had never been able to guess any of the admirer's gifts (other than the candy, of course).

"What if he's doing all of this and we date and then he realizes I'm not as great as he thinks...?", he asked, more to himself than Jason.

Jason stiffened for a moment. "You should really get some more self-confidence, Nico. Your admirer knows you. If anything, he'll be the happiest person in the world."

"But I know myself too, Jason. What if he simply...what if I disappoint him?"

Jason looked him straight in the eye, quiet for a moment.

"Then he's an idiot and doesn't deserve you.", he then said, patting Nico's head.

"Jason! I was serious!", Nico wailed and pushed his hand away, but Jason only chuckled.

"So was I, Neeks."

Nico made a face.

Ha-ha.

He heard noises outside his cabin and looked around.  
That sounded a lot like his other two dorks.  
A smile tugged at his lips but he pushed it down, jumping off the bed to let them in hurriedly.

Jason chuckled.

Nico looked around to see him watching him with a fond expression on his face.  
What? He wasn't doing anything. He was just letting them in.  
Nico opened the door just as Percy wanted to knock.

"Morning.", he greeted them and they ginned at him.

"Morning, Neeks.", both said enthusiastically, making Nico raise an eyebrow as he closed the door behind them.

Then he noticed he was still holding the gift of the day.  
Will and Percy automatically rushed towards Nico's bed where Jason was still sitting, nodding at them in greeting.

"So, let's see what your admirer wrote today.", Will said and picked up the card off the bedside table.

Nico made a face.  
He did not like it when they took the note without asking him first.  
Of course they were allowed to see it and they needn't really ASK, but just taking it seemed almost wrong.  
This was something private after all.

Percy caught his gaze, chuckling. "Whoa, Will, watch your manners. You can't just take love letters without asking the receiver first."

"Oops, sorry, Neeks, I didn't mean to. My curiosity got the better of me there."

Nico waved it off. "It's ok. As long as you don't open my gifts."

"What would happen if I did?", Will asked curiously, looking around at the small package in Nico's hands.

"Then I'll have to stab you and send you to the Fields of Punishment for eternal torture."

Will looked around at him stunned.

Jason chuckled. "You don't want to mess with Nico's gifts.", he muttered, winking at Nico.

"Nope, most definitely not.", Percy agreed, trying to suppress his laughter.

Will pushed out his bottom lip.  
But then he laughed as well, returning his attention to the note.  
Percy looked over Will's shoulder to read it as well.  
Nico smiled at them and focused on the small package, opening it carefully.

"'I'll comply only too willingly in all aspects'? Am I misunderstanding this or is this guy unmistakably thinking about more than just 'snuggling up with you in bed'? What the hell are you two doing in the mornings, Neeks? He keeps saying you make him all hot and wanting.", Will asked, frowning at him.

Nico blushed. "I...we...I wouldn't know. Nothing, really."

Will raised an eyebrow, unbelieving.  
Nico watched as Percy took the note from Will, reading the last part of it and chuckled, smirking at Nico and wriggling his eyebrows.

That idiot.

"Guys, leave him alone. His sex life is of no concern to you.", Jason said warningly.

Nico was about to thank him when he realized what he had just said.  
He scowled, his blush darkening.

Damn it.

"I'm not...we're...uh...", he stammered, searching for the right way to explain the doings between his admirer and him.

He looked down to the items in his hand.

"Erm...want to go to McDonalds today?", he asked, making all three guys look up at him, frowning.

He smirked and held up his coupons.  
Percy came hurrying over in an instant, checking them out, closely followed by Will and Jason.  
Nico found himself watching their faces intently for some reason.  
He wondered vaguely if his admirer ever gave himself away.

It had only just occurred to him that if it really was one of those three, it had to be one of those three.  
Of course, that sounded obvious, but what he meant to say: One of these three was acting oblivious to everything.  
Which meant that one of these three was practically lying to him and making a show of not knowing.  
Nico swore to himself he'd whack whoever it was across the head at least once for this mess.  
The thought pleased him inwardly.

"Well, that settles it then! We're going skating and then when we're all out-powered we can go eat out.", Percy suggested.

"Not skating again! If we have to go outside, can't we just go build snowmen or something?", Jason complained.

"We could also play Truth or Dare again and make Nico all flustered and stuff."

"No.", they all instantly replied.

"Aw, man.", Will sulked and Nico rolled his eyes.

He was about to say something, when he realized something.

"Oh my gods!", he yelped, slapping himself against the forehead.

All three looked around.

"What's wrong?", Jason asked, worried.

"I didn't call Reyna yesterday!"

He had completely forgotten.  
Of course, he had thought of her and Hazel and he'd thought he'd call them later but for whatever reason he had completely forgotten!

"Well, do it now, then.", Percy suggested, shrugging.

"Percy, it's barely 9:30am."

"So?"

"Plus, you're all here."

Silence.

"Wait, why can't we be here?", asked Will, his pouting face back on.

Then he smirked mischievously. "Got something you don't want us to know about?"

Nico just stared at him.

"Nico, I'm sure she's up already. Just try call her and if she's busy, she'll simply call you back whenever she gets the time.", Jason reassured him quietly.

He bit his lip.  
He knew he could always call her.  
But he really didn't want to bother her.  
He looked at his wrist with the IM-ing device his admirer had gotten him.  
He had only tried it once with his friends so far.

A sigh escaped his lips. "Alright, then."

He went over to his bed, gingerly taking the card Percy had dropped off and putting it into the drawer to the rest, which earned him a chuckle from the three but he ignored them, now putting down his coupons.  
They held enough value to feed his friends and himself after a very, very tiring day of training or fighting or anything active that turned them into starving animals.  
Then he flopped down onto the bed, starting up the little device.

Next moment, all three guys were with him on the bed, watching intently as he started up the rainbow, depositing a drachma into the mist for Iris/Fleecy.

Then he made his call.  
For a moment, nothing happened.  
Then again, he was trying to get in contact with Romans, and they usually didn't use IM-ing for communication, so he wasn't surprised.  
He knew it should connect though, since he had done it a hundred times already in the past.

Suddenly, a picture appeared, so clear it could have been real.

"Nico!", Reyna called, surprised, jumping up from her chair/throne thing.

Nico only hoped he wasn't interrupting anything.

"Good Morning, Reyna.", he greeted politely, unsure whether there was anybody else around on her side, though a broad smile tugged at his lips.

She smiled back.

*****

They exchanged some pleasantries, talking about this and that, actually including Nico's friends in the conversation, too, even though she had a kind of bad history with two of them.

Another reason Nico wasn't really sure how to tell her about the whole admirer-thing.

"So, what else is new? We haven't talked in ages.", she said, shaking her head, just smiling at him.

He smiled back, his insides warm and fuzzy but in a family-type of way.

"Well, actually, there's this one thing I have to talk to you about...", Nico started, though he stopped again, looking around at his friends.

Maybe he should do this when he was alone?  
They looked at him expectantly.  
He rolled his eyes.  
Well, apparently not.

"Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that...it's just...erm..." Oh great. Now he couldn't think of the right words.

'Hi Reyna, by the way, I have a secret admirer who writes me love notes every morning and cuddles with me while I'm in some sort of half-sleep. Hope you don't mind. Love ya, bye!'

Uh, no.

"Yes?"

Nico fidgeted.

"There's someone...someone who..."

He looked around at his friends, who all had dumb grins on their faces now.  
Really?

"Could you leave me alone with her for a moment, guys?", he asked and their grins got broader as they hopped off the bed.

Will ruffled through his hair as he walked past him.  
He half expected them to actually leave his cabin, but instead, they walked over to his bathroom and closed the door.

"Really? You better not make a mess in there!", he called after them, shaking his head, though he was smiling.

Then he turned back to Reyna, who only had her eyebrow raised.

"Is everything ok?", she asked, worry clearly audible in her voice.

He sighed. "I...it's like this..."

And then he told her.  
Told her how he had found the letter and how he had then found his earrings (she actually liked them, too, which he took as a good sign).  
How he had gotten a gift day after day since the 1st and how he had found out it had to be one of those three dorks in his bathroom.  
She listened quietly most of the time, asking a question here and there.

"But are you ok with that? Not knowing who it is?", she asked worriedly when he was done.

"I'll find out, won't I?"

"Hm. I don't like it. If that person truly cares about you, why not come forward and tell you face to face? What makes them think they are worthy of you if they can't even come out to you properly?"

He hesitated for a moment.

"He's doing that to prove his feelings to me, Reyna. He doesn't mean it bad or the like. In the beginning, he was scared I'd refuse him. By now I think he got the hint that I won't..."

There was silence for a moment.

"Well, I will definitely have a talk with your friends about this when they come here."

He had half expected it anyways, so he just nodded and smiled at her.

"Thanks for telling me, Nico. I know that must have been quite a bit of stuff weighing on you, especially since all your friends are in this together."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I actually feel a bit better now, as well. Thanks for listening."

"No problem. So then, how about you show me those amazing gifts you told me about."

He laughed and started showing her the scarf, the blanket, the laptop, the camera.

Everything.

Except the candy, because he had already eaten all of that.

She looked at each intently through the mist, looking satisfied.  
Which he took as a good sign.

"I just want you to be happy, Nico. You deserve it."

He sighed happily at her understanding.  
Even though he didn't really agree with her about the 'deserving' part.

"Thanks, Reyna. I really...I'm glad we could talk about this."

She beamed at him. "I'll always be there for you, Nico. Never forget that and never doubt it."

He heard laughter coming from the bathroom and a small clicking sound as if somebody turned the light on and off.

Reyna seemed to hear it too. "What are they doing?"

"I have no idea...", he muttered and got up, momentarily confused as to why she was moving with him until he understood it was because of the IM-device on his wrist.

The connection really was great, even Reyna had been impressed.  
He walked over to the bathroom, opening the unlocked door.

Jason was at the light switch, switching it on and off every few seconds, while Percy and Will (who had wet hair for some reason?) hopped around, striking different poses whenever the light turned on.

Reyna and Nico stared.

"So one of them is supposed to be your secret admirer...?", she asked, raising an eyebrow and gazing at the mess.

The three looked around sheepishly.

"Seems like it.", Nico confirmed.

"Well, to whomever it may concern: If you hurt Nico, I'll END you. Nico, I loved chatting with you. Call me again some time. I really got to go now. Bye.", Reyna said and blew him a kiss before ending the call.

Nico looked around at the others, grinning.

"She's awesome, isn't she?"

*****

They went to pick up breakfast, deciding to do a little shopping later because, all of a sudden, all three guys wanted to get Christmas gifts for Reyna, Hazel and Frank.  
Nico chuckled to himself, knowing that they just wanted to get into a better light with Reyna.  
But it was fine by him, since they'd connect it with McDonalds as well.  
And, well, maybe he was still thinking of an emergency gift for Jason in case his baking skills failed him.

"Nico, you don't want to tell us what you got her, do you?", Percy asked, shifting next to him and giving him that pleading look of his again.

Nico pointedly turned his face towards Will to the right of him, but he looked at him with big eyes as well.

"Well, actually, I got her a necklace. I know it's not difficult for her to get gems and whatnot, but she would never get the idea to actually use that power to get herself something pretty.", he said, knowing he was being mean.

"I meant Reyna!", Percy wailed.

Nico smirked sardonically. "Oh, you were? My mistake, then."

Jason chuckled from the front seat, winking at Nico.  
He was the only one who didn't ask for ideas.  
Nico wondered whether he already had something in mind.

"Well, for Reyna I got a new dagger. She lost her old one some time ago. This one is out of Imperial Gold as well and the hilt got a special engraving to it in the form of a Pegasus.", he told them, wondering faintly whether she'd really like it.

"That's a really nice idea. Sadly, I can't use that. What else does she like?", Will asked and Percy edged closer too, now seriously giving him puppy eyes.

He rolled his eyes.

"You do know you don't have to get her anything in the first place, right? Just give her a Christmas Card or a bracelet, some candy, just something. If you get her something too fancy, she'll believe you're trying to bribe her. And trust me guys, you don't want her to think that."

They sulked.

*****

It was actually fun to watch all three of them strolling through the store, searching for something suitable for Hazel, Reyna and Frank without playing around as they'd done last time.  
They avoided each other, searching through rows of shelves, constantly trying to sneak peeks at whatever the other one was looking at in case it was a good idea.  
Nico could only shake his head and looked around at the Christmas Cards of the 4th store.  
There was this one card that had caught his eye, though he still was unsure whether he should really go for it.

It was colorful, yet still really pretty.

And it read _'Merry Christmas, Dad'_.

He sighed, staring it to death.  
He wasn't even going to see his father this Christmas.  
Of course, he could probably get it delivered by Hermes, but what was the point of that?

Jason appeared behind him, a shopping bag in his hand.  
He had already found something for Frank and Hazel in the first two stores they'd been in.

"What are you looking at, Neeks?", he asked, scanning the rows of cards.

His gaze stopped at the one Nico had been looking at.

"Oh."

Nico sighed again. "I was just thinking...well..."

Jason smiled. "Nico, if you want to give him a card, then just do it."

"But I'm not even going to see him for Christmas anyways. Plus, he probably wouldn't care either way."

"I think he'd love it."

Nico hesitated.  
Then he made a face.

"Fine, I'll get it. But only because I don't want to be the only one who hasn't bought anything."

"Of course."

Nico looked up at him sulkily, but he only grinned.  
Those glasses though!  
Nico found himself adjusting them again.  
Jason chuckled.

"What are you two doing? Oh, you are getting your dad a card? That's so cute.", Percy came over, looking at the card in Nico's hand.

Nico made a face and turned away, marching off to the counter.  
It wasn't as if his dad would really care, anyways.  
This was just a waste of money and time.

He still bought it.

*****

Way too many stores later, they finally had their Christmas gifts together.

For Frank, all three of them had a sweater each, each one of them with some sort of animal-design on it.  
Well, he was sure Frank would like them, so it was ok.

Nico already had his Roman Mythomagic Expansion Card Set for him wrapped up and ready to give for months now.

For Hazel, Will had gotten her some really good makeup, Percy a dress that looked like it fit her time and Jason had gotten her something for her hair Nico didn't really understand.  
And for Reyna, Will had settled on a purple scarf, Percy got her a bracelet and Jason didn't want to say what he had.

Nico could only shake his head at that, though he inwardly really wondered what Jason had in mind.

The next stop was obviously McDonalds, which was ironically even the same McDonalds he had gone to with Percy on their...day together.

"Gods, it's been ages since I've last been at McDonalds.", Will muttered as he took a bite of his burger.

Jason next to him only chuckled and devoured his fries.  
Nico was about to eat one of his fries, but noticed Percy next to him eyeing them wistfully.

Really?

"Percy, why don't you just get fries yourself if you like them so much?", he asked as he held out one of his fries to him.

Percy chuckled and let Nico feed it to him.

"Then I couldn't have you give me some of yours.", was his great excuse.

Nico rolled his eyes and fed him some more, eating his cheeseburger and taking a sip of his coke.

"You're pathetic.", he commented.

Percy laughed. "Nah, I'm simply lovin' it."

Nico rolled his eyes as the other two laughed.  
Then he felt a hand on his thigh.  
He blinked, looking around at Percy.  
But Percy only eyed him with that suggestive gleam in his eyes.

Nico blushed and looked away, though he didn't remove Percy's hand.  
He could feel the warmth radiating from the touch, surging through his body.

Oh, please. It was only a simple touch.

How could he be bothered by that so much?  
He shifted uneasily, then jumped up.

"I'll be right back.", he announced, walking towards the bathroom.

"I'm coming, too!", Will called, jumping up.

"Me too.", Jason said, leaving Percy to laugh and watch over their food.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Are we seriously going to the toilet in packs like girls?"

"Seems like it.", Will commented, grinning.

Nico could only shake his head.

*****

When they got back from the bathroom, Percy started laughing at Nico's bright red face.

"What happened? Did you guys molest him or something?", he asked gleefully as Nico flopped down next to him, stuffing his mouth with fries and looking anywhere but at the three.

Will chuckled while Jason just sighed, though a smile was tugging at his lips.

"Nah, but it was fun, alright. You really missed something.", Will said teasingly, winking at Nico who only pursed his lips, stealing some more fries from Jason to have something to do.

That. Had. Been. Horrible!

They had put him at the urinal between them as if it was the most casual thing in the world and made conversation, when Will had just leaned over like that!  
Seriously, he should have gone for one of the bathroom stalls, damn it.

He hated guy's toilets.

Jason had pushed Will away with his luckily free left hand, but by then Will had already managed to make three suggestive remarks.

Blah.

Nico knew he didn't have to be embarrassed about anything.  
But still, it was weird.

Percy shifted next to him, looking at him as if he hoped Nico would tell him what had happened.

Oh, hell no.

He pointedly turned his head away.

"Jason, will you at least tell me what happened?", he asked Jason with puppy eyes.

Jason sighed and looked over at Nico.  
Nico didn't look at him, hoping he got the hint not to say a thing.

"Hey, Neeks, want the rest of my fries?", he asked instead and pushed his fries over.

Nico took them with a quick not, grateful to have something to do.  
Percy sulked and looked at Will, who only winked and grinned wickedly.

"Let's just say...the admirer is going to have quite a handful of work.", he then said and Jason whacked him across the back of the head, though it only made Will laugh.

Nico blushed a dark shade of red and jumped up.

"You...you are...impossible!", he stammered, much to the amusement of Will.

"Eh? I don't get it.", Percy frowned, looking confused.

Will facepalmed.  
Jason rolled his eyes bemused.  
Nico couldn't suppress a chuckle.

Bless his seaweed brain.

*****

Later that evening, back at Camp Half-Blood, they decided to call it a night after hanging out at Nico's cabin again.  
Somehow, it had developed to some sort of headquarters.  
Therefore that his friends had barely set foot in here before the 1st of December, they were now practically living here.

If he had known that, he'd have invited them over much sooner.  
It was fun to hang out with them.

"We should definitely play Truth or Dare again, guys. I have come up with some really good questions for Nico.", Will said as Nico brought them to the door.

"No way.", Nico instantly replied.

"Aw, come on, I want to know more about you."

"Then why don't you just ask away in the first place?", Jason asked, frowning.

"Nah, no fun. Also, he could lie and I can't give him any penalty for it unless we're playing."

Great.

Sometimes Nico wondered whether Will might not be a bit sadistic.

"I'm still against it.", Nico muttered.

"We could play, but make rules not to ask or dare intimate stuff.", Percy suggested, to Nico's surprise.

"You're just saying that because you're still getting hot at the thought of humping Nico."

Nico and Percy blushed, not meeting each other's gaze.  
Nico's confused mind unhelpfully noted how Percy wasn't disagreeing or arguing whatsoever.

"You...you are impossible!", Nico called, slamming the door in their faces.

"Good Night, Nico. Sweet dreams!", Will called cheerily.

He made a face and put his head against the door, sighing.

Those guys.

"Nico...", came a voice from behind him.

Oops.

He turned around to look at Jason, who was still there.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah..."

Jason put his hand on Nico's head, ruffling through his hair.

"Don't let them get to you that much."

"I'm trying."

He smiled.  
Nico noticed his glasses were dirty.  
He took them off without thinking, cleaning them with his shirt beneath his aviator's jacket.

"Seriously, can you even see with these anymore?", he asked, shaking his head and checking them out.

Jason chuckled.

"You know, I could have done that myself.", he muttered, though Nico could practically feel the smirk on his face.

"Yeah, but you like it."

"I do.", Jason said quietly.

Nico blinked, but shook his head, clearing his thoughts.  
He finished cleaning them somewhat, now fairly certain Jason would like his Christmas gift.  
He pushed them back onto Jason's nose.

"Better?"

"Much better.", Jason nodded, grinning down at him.

For a moment, Nico looked at that stapler scar on his upper lip.  
Then he sighed and looked away.

"Well, good night, then.", he muttered, opening the door for Jason once more.

Jason chuckled.

"Good Night, Nico. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Neeks. Thanks for slamming the door in my face.", Percy said sulkily, still standing in front of the door.

Nico blinked, surprised.

"What the hell are you still doing here, Percy?"

Jason didn't seem surprised whatsoever.  
He just walked past Percy and grinned around at Nico once more.

"Well, actually, I just wanted to wish you a good night.", Percy pouted, making Nico hesitate.

"Oh…Good Night then, Percy."

Percy grinned at him.

"Good night. And Nico, Will is right. You really are a handful of work. In any and every possible way."

"Percy!", Nico yelled, red in the face as Percy laughed and ran for it.

Jason chuckled.

"Not you too, Jason.", Nico growled in warning but Jason only lifted his hands in mock surrender.

Nico rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut.

Seriously, those guys though.


	19. Day 18: 18th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> Gods, how much I love you.  
> Tearing myself away from you in the mornings is becoming harder and harder by the day.  
> Good thing there's only 7 days left.  
> You are so addictive, Nico.  
> Everything about you is.  
> I simply can't get enough of you.  
> I hope you like today's gift.  
> I saw the design and had to think of you instantly.  
> Hopefully, you'll love it as much as I do.  
> I'm certain you'll look ravishing in it.  
> Oh snap, I think I just spoiled the surprise.  
> Have a nice 18th day of December, my angel.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: You feel soooo good!'

**Day 18: Thursday**

"Nico...you have to let go of my hand. I've already stayed way too long."

"Never...", Nico muttered, clutching the hand for dear life.

He chuckled.

"Please?"

"No."

"If I give you a kiss?"

Nico contemplated.  
Then he sighed, slowly and reluctantly letting go of the hand folded into his.  
He felt the body next to him getting up, out of the bed and instantly missed the source of heat.  
He turned around and felt a hand on his face, gently brushing some stray strands of hair aside.  
Then he felt lips pressing onto his softly.  
He kissed back, wrapping his arms around the person's neck, pulling him down further.  
He chuckled into the kiss, making Nico's insides all fluttery.

"Gods, Nico, you're doing it again.", he muttered as they parted.

Nico could feel him huffing slightly, feel his warm breath on his skin.  
The person placed a soft peck on his lips once more before pulling back out of Nico's arms.  
Nico only sighed.  
He heard scribbling.

"Can't it be the 25th already...?", Nico muttered sleepily and turned away.

He chuckled again.

"Only 7 more days, my angel."

"You're so cruel...", Nico muttered.

He noticed he was slowly beginning to wake more.  
If he really wanted to, he knew he could make himself open his eyes.  
But he didn't.

"I'm sorry. I love you.", the voice whispered and kissed him softly at the side of his neck before retreating, leaving the cabin swiftly.

Nico sighed and turned around slowly, opening one eye slightly to peek at the table.  
Sure enough, there laid the gift and the note.  
He sneaked a peek at the time.

4am.

His admirer had stayed roughly two hours with him, just snuggling up to him in bed, warming and caressing him.  
He smiled fondly.  
Then he turned around in bed, grabbing hold of Mrs. O'Leary Jr. and fell back asleep.

*****

"Seriously, what are you two doing each morning?", Will asked, shaking his head incredulously as he read the note.

Nico chuckled.

"Oh, we're so making out. I'm quite a handful, after all."

Percy completely lost it, snorting out the water he'd been drinking and holding his stomach, laughing.  
Will stared at Nico, gaping.  
Jason chuckled and high-fived Nico.

Then Will chuckled as well, throwing himself onto Nico and tickling him. "You Little...You almost had me there.", he said, tickling him mercilessly.

Nico laughed and tried to run away, but to no avail.  
He felt Will's fingers gliding beneath his new dark blue Christmas jumper with skulls and skeleton reindeers – the gift of the day from his admirer – and writhed beneath Will.

"Almost? I think not.", he teased and then grabbed hold of Will, turning them around, topping.

"Gods, Nico, you seem to be in a rather daring mood today, huh?", Jason asked, chuckling as he watched them play-fight.

Nico laughed and started pinning Will to the bed, holding his hands up with one hand and tickling him with the other while firmly sitting on his thighs.  
Will squirmed and writhed beneath him, but Nico didn't let him go.

"S-Stop, Neeks, I can't...please...", Will pleaded, trying to free himself and Jason and Percy laughed.

"Never thought I'd hear Will begging like that.", Percy chuckled and Nico slowly let go of Will, jumping off him and crossing his arms, looking rather smug.

"Yeah, bet you weren't expecting me to hold my ground for once, eh?"

He felt pretty damn good today.  
Maybe he was getting another head cold.

Will got up, huffing. "You...are...impossible.", he panted, grinning at Nico.

Nico chuckled and tugged on the side of his Christmas sweater.  
It was actually pretty comfortable.  
Of course, he couldn't run around the Camp with it because of the Camp Half-Blood sweaters, but he was considering wearing it on Christmas.  
Not to mention on the long ride to Camp Jupiter.

It was just so nice and warm and fuzzy...like his admirer today in the morning in bed with him.

He blushed lightly and pulled his collar up, hiding part of his face in it.

He loved it when his admirer came in the morning.  
He loved it when they kissed.  
He loved it when he laid down next to him to cuddle.  
He loved it when his admirer let his hands travel over Nico's body, caressing it ever so softly, kissing his neck or shoulders.  
He loved falling asleep leaning back against him.  
He loved waking up slightly to still feel him behind him.  
He loved his admirer.

The thought was surprising, if not unnerving.  
He had no idea who his admirer was after all.

But he found himself in love with the person that came to him each morning.  
The person that gave him notes stating they loved him.  
He looked around at the note lying on his bedside table again.

A smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the message.

_[Dear Nico,_

_Gods, how much I love you._

_Tearing myself away from you in the mornings is becoming harder and harder by the day._

_Good thing there's only 7 days left._

_You are so addictive, Nico._

_Everything about you is._

_I simply can't get enough of you._

_I hope you like today's gift._

_I saw the design and had to think of you instantly._

_Hopefully, you'll love it as much as I do._

_I'm certain you'll look ravishing in it._

_Oh snap, I think I just spoiled the surprise._

_Have a nice 18th day of December, my angel._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: You feel soooo good!]_

He smirked to himself.  
He of course knew that the admirer was talking about cuddling and kissing alone.  
But his friends had immediately assumed otherwise.

Though one of them was only acting.  
He looked around at them, sitting on his bed next to each other, chuckling and making fun of one another.

Jason had had that look of alarm on his face, looking Nico up and down as if looking for any indicator as to what he and his admirer could have been up to.  
Percy had raised both eyebrows in surprise, looking over at Nico, just to then smirk broadly and wriggle with them as if to ask how it went. That idiot.  
And Will had looked up incredulously, asking what the hell they've been doing.

It was really difficult to see who of them it could be.  
The more time passed, the more Nico knew he'd find out soon, yet he was practically desperate to find out right now.  
He wanted so badly to know yet not know.

"Truth or Dare, Truth or Dare!", Will called, looking pleadingly at everybody.

Oh, hell no.  
He was NOT going to play that game again. Ever.  
Jason and Percy looked at each other meaningfully, then at Nico.

Nico shook his head. "No way. I am not nibbling on anybody's neck today."

Jason's face flushed and Percy snorted with laughter, while Will started his usual wailing again.

"Oh, come on, you liked it! Fine, no neck nibbling then."

"And no humping.", Jason, Nico and Percy said.

"Fine, no humping."

"And no other awkward stuff.", Nico added.

Will made a face. "But Truth or Dare is all about the awkward stuff."

"Then we'll have to wait until we get to Camp Jupiter and can play with Reyna. She'll have lots of awkward things for you to do.", Nico said drily, an eyebrow raised at Will.

Silence.

"No, no. It's ok. No awkward stuff, got it.", he then insisted, raising his arms in defeat.

Jason and Percy chuckled, winking at Nico.

"Fine, then I suppose we can go a few rounds.", Nico sighed exasperated.

He sure was feeling daring today.  
Probably because, in his mind, he was still lying in that bed with his admirer, snuggling and cuddling and feeling warm and fuzzy and loved.

*****

They went for more than just a few rounds.

It all started innocent enough with people asking each other what their favorite color was, what season they liked most, things like that.  
The dares had been simple enough as well.

Run around the place, mime a word whispered into their ears (very funny when it had been Nico's turn and nobody had understood him miming Santa Clause, even though he had even started crawling into the fireplace – something he wouldn't recommend to anybody), bring drinks for each other and, and, and.

Nico was still wondering what Will's great questions were.  
He hadn't asked Nico anything weird yet and he highly doubted Will had been so keen on playing the game just to ask him what his favorite animal, food and drink was and whether he wanted to live in New Rome someday.

Just then, Will turned to him.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Who did you share your fist kiss with?"

Nico blinked.

Percy's nose twitched slightly annoyed and he looked away.  
Nico knew what he was thinking.  
He was expecting Will to be Nico's first kiss.  
Jason looked rather surprised though.  
Great, he probably thought Nico was still unkissed.

This was going to be one awesome conversation.

He shifted.

"Erm...remind me again, what's the penalty for not answering?", he asked duplicitous.

Will made a face. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad a question. Just say it."

Nico wondered vaguely whether Will was either very mean, wanting to hear Nico tell the others about their kiss, or whether he actually guessed he hadn't been Nico's first.

Nico sighed. "Well...fine, I suppose I have to admit to it someday. Percy, I'm really sorry.", he said, scratching his head awkwardly.

Silence.

"Sorry for what? Just say it, man.", Percy said, though he was intently staring at his feet, his face forcefully indifferent.

"No, I mean, it's you, actually. You were my first.", Nico admitted.

He wasn't even blushing.  
Yes, he must definitely be getting a head cold.

Percy's head shot up, confused. "What...but...huh?", he stammered, frowning, looking from Nico to Will and back, searching for a sign that this was a joke.  
Jason was intently looking at his hands, while Will had both eyebrows raised in surprise, looking at Nico rather baffled.

Nico sighed. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about that. It was quite a while ago, actually. I kissed you while you were sleeping. It was shortly after I had finally accepted my...feelings myself and it just sort of...kind of...happened.", he explained, shifting uneasily.

Percy blinked surprised. "Oh...oh. Ok...erm...it's fine, I guess...though...can that really count as kiss? With me sleeping?"

"Well, you did kinda kiss back."

"Wait, I did?"

"Yeah..."

There was silence for a moment.

"Sweet. Was I good? I don't think I ever kissed somebody while sleeping. Then again, I wouldn't know, would I?"

Will chuckled. "Dude, really? You can ask him that when it's your turn!", he said and Nico rolled his eyes, deciding inwardly to better take the Dares whenever Percy turned to him.

He turned to Jason.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Nico thought for a moment.

"Do you want to have kids someday?", he then asked, curious.  
He could picture Jason to be a pretty cool dad.  
The other two looked around.  
Jason looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, I guess I'd maybe want to have one. Though it'll depend on the partner and the time and if we were capable of taking care of a child."

So grown up.

Nico smiled. "I think you'd be a pretty cool dad."

"Yeah, I agree.", Percy said, looking Jason up and down.

Will nodded.

Jason only scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Thanks, guys, I suppose. So, Percy, Truth or Dare?"

"Hm...truth."

"Would you ever put on an Aquaman-outfit?"

They chuckled.

"Sure, why not. The real question is: Would anybody want to see me in it?"

"Fair point.", Will said and they laughed.

Then Percy turned to Nico instantly.

"Truth or Da-..."

"Dare."

"Aww, you're so cruel!"

"That's what my admirer tells me every morning. I think I'm already immune to it.", he said, shrugging unimpressed.

Jason and Will chuckled.

Percy only shook his head. "You've got one daring attitude today. I love it. So...hm...a dare..."

He looked about the room.  
Then he smirked, looking at Will.

"Well, how about you make him blush?"

Nico made a face.

Will blinked. "What? I thought no awkward stuff?", he complained.

"How is making you blush awkward?", Percy asked, frowning.

"It's awkward for me. Plus, he couldn't do it anyways."

Nico scowled. "Oh, couldn't I?", he asked drily.

Then he smirked. "Challenge accepted."

He REALLY was getting a head cold.  
He had never felt so daring.

Well, maybe a few times but that was usually along the lines of 'I'll be rushing into this mob of monsters and simply hope I can fight my way back out of it'-daring.

Will blinked, looking around at him surprised as Nico went towards him on all fours, coming dangerously close.  
He had no clue what to do to make Will blush.  
Though he could clearly see Will gulp and look at him with big eyes, which was already telling him he was doing a good job.

He inched closer, their faces inches apart.  
He could practically feel Will moving towards him slightly, letting their lips almost brush against each other, feeling his breath on his skin...but then Nico chuckled quietly and put his lips right next to Will's ear.

"Well, well, wouldn't you love that?", he asked just loud enough for Will to hear, knowing full well his voice had dropped to a seductive purr.

As he pulled back ever so slowly, Will had the most adorable blush on his cheeks, turning his face slightly towards Nico as if hoping he'd at least let their lips brush against each other now, his gaze dazedly fixed on him.

Percy chuckled. "Well, I'll be damned. Nico, you're my hero."

Jason looked mildly impressed as well.  
Nico pulled back completely, grinning at Will.

"So much for 'he couldn't do that'.", he said smugly and returned to his place.

Will made a face, looking rather embarrassed.

"Well, ok, I take it all back. I had no clue you could turn from adorable and sexy to freaking super seductive in under a minute.", he exclaimed and looked at Nico rather reproachfully as if he had cheated him or something.

Nico shrugged. "I don't know about 'adorable', 'sexy' or 'seductive', but I do know I just made you blush. Truth or Dare?"

Percy and Jason exchanged bemused glances, winking at Nico.

"Truth."

"Did you like it?", Nico immediately asked, teasing.

Percy and Jason high-fived him.

"I'm starting to like this attitude of yours.", Jason muttered, shaking his head, grinning to himself.

Will crossed his arms in front of his chest. "M-Maybe."

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, I guess I did.", he gave in, making Percy and Jason smirk.

This was payback for making Nico all flustered the last time they played this game.  
Nico thoroughly enjoyed it.

Will turned to Jason. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare.", Jason replied, which was kind of obvious since the last two rounds he had taken Truth.

"Uh...take your shirt off.", Will said, apparently not able to think of anything better.

"Seriously?", Jason asked, eyebrows raised, but complied nevertheless.

Then he turned to Nico. "Truth or Dare?"

Since Nico didn't want to run danger of having to choose Truth with Percy, Dare wasn't really an option.

"Truth."

Jason thought for a moment.

"Ask him whether my kiss was good!", Percy urged.

"Your kiss was probably really crappy, that's why he doesn't want to tell you. My kiss was tons better.", Will replied teasingly.

Nico made a face.  
Well, that was out there now.  
Jason furrowed an eyebrow, slightly annoyed.

"Your kiss probably sucked hardcore, else he wouldn't have scrammed like that.", Percy teased.

"Oh, don't you even go there!"

"Guys, would you both shut up and let Jason ask whatever he wishes to ask?", Nico interrupted them, slightly pink in the face.

Jason still looked peeved about something.  
Then he looked straight at Nico.

What was that in his gaze?  
Hurt? Betrayal? Annoyance?

Nico couldn't blame him.  
He pretty much just found out Nico had kissed both Percy and Will.

Leaving Jason to be the only one he didn't kiss yet.  
Except he was his admirer, of course.  
Which he highly doubted.  
But even if he was, it would probably only peeve him even more to hear his crush was kissing everybody else but him during day.

"Can you do me a favor?"

Nico blinked. "Erm...sure? What is it?"

"Can you switch to dare?"

Nico hesitated.  
He had a bad feeling about this.

Then he sighed. "Uh, sure. Dare, then."

Will and Percy frowned and looked around at Jason, who slowly pushed himself up.

"Kiss me."

For a moment, there was utter silence.  
It was so quiet, they could have heard a needle falling to the ground.

Nico stared at him.

What?!

Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest, staring back at him intently.  
Percy and Will both gaped at him.  
Nico almost hoped they'd say something like 'you can't dare him that'.

But they didn't.

"Erm...", he muttered awkwardly and got up as well.

He gulped, unsure what exactly to do.  
It wasn't as if he had ever really initiated a kiss other than when Percy had been asleep that one time (unless you counted the admirer at night...).

He stepped forward, fidgeting.

"L-Like...a...a real kiss?", he asked tentatively, half hoping Jason would say something like 'Nah, on the cheek is fine'.

He didn't. Instead, he nodded curtly and still gazed at him intently.  
Percy and Will still gaped.

Nico moved closer, now standing directly in front of Jason and suddenly felt even shyer than usual.  
Lowering his gaze slightly, he was unsure of where to put his arms.

Should he just take Jason's face in his hands and press his lips onto his?  
Should he wrap his arms around his neck?  
Or should he just lean forward and give him a quick peck?

He felt Jason's hand on his chin, pushing his face upwards again, locking their gazes once more.  
Nico felt the hairs at the back of his neck standing up as he was painfully aware of the other two watching.

Seriously, this was horrible.

What was this?  
Was this considered ok, because it was a game?  
This was not ok.  
He had sworn to himself to at least not kiss Jason as to prove to himself that he wasn't some sort of slut.  
He felt Jason's face inching closer.  
He drew a sharp breath.

Then he leaned forward, connecting their lips.

It felt funny.

There was a tingly sensation as their lips touched, lingering in the pit of his stomach, making him all fuzzy and weird.  
He felt Jason's hands at the sides of his face, pulling him closer and put his hands on Jason's sides tentatively.  
Nico felt Jason huffing, though he knew he wasn't much better.

As Jason's tongue licked over Nico's bottom lip, demanding entrance, Nico stiffened for a moment.  
Jason seemed to hesitate for a splint second, but then did it again.

Nico gave in.

Jason's tongue kiss wasn't anything like Percy's.  
It was gentler, yet had this electrifying effect on Nico, as if there were little lightning bolts hitting some odd part of his body, making him shiver and tremble.  
He was a lot less demanding as Percy, therefore a lot more sensual.

Then he felt Jason slowly retreating, ending their tongue game.  
Nico pulled back as well, noticing how he was panting.

He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at Jason for any form of reaction.  
Jason looked down at him with a dazed expression on his face, huffing himself.

Then he grinned.  
Nico was too dizzy to grin back, instead just flopping down onto his seat, blinking, trying to get a grip on himself.

"Well, that was one hell of a kiss.", Jason admitted, looking rather pleased and sat back down as well.

"Dude, unfair, I didn't get to french kiss him.", Will complained, looking rather hurt now.

"You didn't?", Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No! He ran off before I could take it that far."

Percy chuckled, though he was slightly pink in the face and had his gaze fixed on Nico and Nico alone.

"Well, told you your kiss must have sucked."

"Oh, shut it. At least I can remember kissing him."

"I can, too. And I tongued him just fine."

Nico blushed a dark shade of red.

"Are we seriously discussing how you guys kissed me?!", he asked incredulously and hid his face in his hands, ashamed and embarrassed of himself.

They looked around at him.

"You ok, Neeks?", Will asked, coming over.

Jason and Percy did, too.

"No. I feel horrible."

"How come?", Percy asked.

"Maybe Jason's kissing skills are horrible.", Will suggested.

"Care to check?", Jason dared him.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Challenge accepted."

"Eek!", Will squeaked and next moment, Nico looked up to find Will running off, closely followed by Jason.  
Percy stared after them.

Then he looked back at Nico. "Are you ok?"

Nico shrugged.  
He really didn't feel good at all.

Percy sighed. "Don't let this stuff get to you, Nico. We all like you. None of us are going to talk bad about you. None of us are going to think badly about you. We all had our share of partners, we all kissed plenty of people. You're still single. Your admirer knows that. And now, be serious. Both Will and I kind of pushed ourselves onto you. You only kissed Jason because he dared you to do it. You really think you're bad? You seriously don't want to know what other people do WHILE they are dating somebody."

Nico's shoulders dropped and he leaned slightly against Percy.

"I just don't want to disappoint him."

He meant his admirer, of course.  
Percy chuckled, softly stroking his back.

"Don't worry, Neeks. You won't. And hey, now you at least know you've already kissed him."

"Percy, I kiss him, like, every morning."

"Oh...well, that explains a lot. Do you do anything else as well?"

Nico pushed away from him, red in the face, but chuckling half against his will.

"No! Just...kissing...cuddling...things like that."

Percy grinned broadly. "Aw, that's sweet."

Nico hesitated, then nodded quietly.  
He looked over at Will, who was hiding beneath the bed two beds away from Nico's and held on to the frame for dear life while Jason tried to pull him out by his leg.

"Yeah...though I still can't believe he's supposed to be one of you three. He's so...I don't know...caring. Kind. Special. He treats me completely differently from the way you guys treat me."

Percy chuckled.

"He loves you, Nico. And when he's with you in the mornings, he can show you how much he loves you. Right here, right now, he has to be just your friend. I bet he can barely wait until it's the 25th so he can finally come out to you and date you and do all those things he's been wanting to do with you."

Nico smiled slightly. "You think so?"

"I know so. So better get the lube ready."

"Percy!", Nico exclaimed, blushing hard and stepping away from him, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Percy laughed.

"Really? I was just about to think you're actually a nice guy!", Nico complained, sulking.

Percy winked at him.

*****

The rest of the day, they actually spent in Percy's cabin, watching Dr. Who since Will claimed nobody ever went with anything he suggested – which was a straight out lie since they had just played Truth or Dare.

But they still did it, not being able to think of anything better and Nico neither wanting to take off his sweater nor risk damaging it in the arena and nobody but Percy felt like ice skating.

So they spent their time slouching around in Percy's room, throwing chips at each other or playing Rock Paper Scissor to determine who would have to go and get dinner – which turned out to be Will, who then brought back all kinds of vegetables as punishment, much to the distaste of the others, though they still ate.

Even though the day had been quite awkward for Nico, it still turned out pretty well.

He was one of the first who wanted to leave for bed, though not because he was particularly tired or didn't enjoy being around the others, but because he wanted badly to have it be the next day already so he could be with his admirer again.  
In bed.  
Under the blanket.  
Pressed against each other.  
Preferably kissing.

He shivered, gazing off into the distance as the others bade their farewell at Percy's door.  
Jason noticed and chuckled.

"I really wonder what you're thinking about, Nico.", he muttered and Will and Percy looked around.

Nico blushed slightly and looked to his feet.

"Nothing! Just...erm...wondering what we're going to do tomorrow."

"You mean us or you and your admirer?", Will asked teasingly.

Nico made a face. "The world will never know.", he then countered, crossing his arms in front of his chest and a seductive, knowing smile on his face as if he was thinking of all the hot things he was going to do in secret.

Percy laughed.

"Gods, Nico, you're a jewel.", he said as he saw Will gape for a second and Jason shoot Nico a stunned sideways glance.

Nico chuckled and turned to go.  
He really wanted to meet his admirer again.

"Good night, guys.", he called over his shoulder, hearing them chuckle and call after him.

He only waved and left for his cabin.  
Maybe he was becoming more daring not because he was getting a head cold, but because he was head over heels in love with his admirer.  
Thus, what the boys did didn't really affect him as much anymore as before.  
He only wished he knew which one of them it was.

Which one would he want it to be?  
His mind travelled to one person in particular, but he pushed it out of his mind.

Only 7 more days.  
Almost 6.

Anticipation welled up inside of him.

He was almost there...


	20. Day 19: 19th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> you are the best that has ever happened to me in my life.  
> I love you!  
> Hope you like today's gift.  
> Sorry for not writing more, I have to scram before you wake up completely ;)  
> Thanks for the squeeze.  
> Have a nice 19th day of December.  
> 6 DAYS TO GO!  
> I love you,  
> Your secret admirer  
> P.s.: We definitely have to repeat what we did tonight.'

**Day 19: Friday**

He felt him joining him in bed and instantly leaned back against him.

"Somebody seems to have been awaiting me."

Nico felt a smile tugging at his lips.  
Strong arms wrapped themselves around Nico, a face burying itself at Nico's crook of the neck.

"You're so nice and warm, Nico.", the person muttered, snuggling closer and entangling their legs.

Nico sighed contently.  
He felt soft lips kissing him at the side of his neck and shifted, offering him more of his neck.  
The person chuckled.

"Don't tempt me, Nico. I will leave a mark.", he warned.

Nico completely wouldn't mind.  
He presented his neck willingly.  
He felt his lips on his skin again, softly kissing down his neck.  
Then he gently nibbled at one spot.  
Nico huffed.  
Nobody had ever done something like that to him.  
He now understood why Jason had been so distracted after their neck-nibble dare.  
It felt damn good.

He felt the person's tongue flicking over the spot as he gently bit it, sucking tentatively.  
Nico moaned, shifting slightly.  
The person continued, then licked over the spot gently, chuckling, before slowly pulling back.

"Now everyone will see you're mine."

Nico smiled. He liked the thought of that.

"I love you, Nico."

He turned his head and felt the person's lips on his own, kissing him as his arms held him tightly pressed against him.

"Stay with me?", Nico asked quietly in his half-sleep.

The person hesitated.  
Then he placed another kiss on his lips.

"I suppose I can stay for a while."

"Till I wake up?"

"If you give me a sign so I can leave before you are completely awake.", he said hesitantly.

Nico touched his arm, squeezing slightly.

The person chuckled. "Is that the sign?"

Nico nodded slightly, snuggling back against the person's chest.  
It felt so nice and comfortable.

"Ok, then. Until you wake up. Nico?"

"Hm...?", Nico was already drifting back to sleep, too comfortable in his arms.

"I love you. I really do."

"Hmm...", Nico hummed, smiling and fell back asleep.

*****

When he began waking again, he had turned around, his face against the chest of his admirer.  
It took him a moment before he realized that he was actually still there.  
He had really stayed.  
Nico smiled to himself.

Then his hand searched for the person's arm, squeezing it slightly.  
The person shifted, seemingly asleep.  
Nico squeezed again.

The person woke, not saying a word, but Nico could hear it in the way he breathed.  
He shifted, slowly removing his arms from around Nico and placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

Then Nico could hear some rustling and the sound of scribbling.

He smiled to himself.  
He knew he could open his eyes right now and find out who exactly it was.  
He really wanted to do it as well.  
But he didn't.

He felt the person coming closer again, his hand stroking through Nico's hair one last time before turning away and hurriedly leaving the cabin.  
Nico waited a bit longer before opening his eyes.

It was already 6:30 in the morning.

His admirer had just spent the night at his cabin just for him.  
He grinned to himself like an idiot and grabbed his pillow, hugging it tight in an attempt to let out part of that amazing feeling of happiness surging through him.

He looked at his bedside table.  
There was a small note and an oddly shaped package.

He smiled, pushing himself up to a sitting position and gingerly taking the note as if it was something fragile and precious – to Nico, it definitely was.

_[Dear Nico,_

_you are the best that has ever happened to me in my life._

_I love you!_

_Hope you like today's gift._

_Sorry for not writing more, I have to scram before you wake up completely ;)_

_Thanks for the squeeze._

_Have a nice 19th day of December._

_6 DAYS TO GO!_

_I love you,_

_Your secret admirer_

_P.s.: We definitely have to repeat what we did tonight.]_

Nico chuckled.  
Yes, they definitely had to do that again.

Nico was feeling better than...pretty much ever.

He had actually stayed with Nico.  
Even though Nico could have easily found out who he was.  
Even though so many things could have gone wrong.  
Nico fell back into his bed, clutching the note to his heart.

He loved this person.  
Even though he had no idea who he was.

Was it creepy? Yep.  
Should he be worried? Most likely.  
Did he care? Nope.

He chuckled to himself and turned his head towards his bedside table once more, looking at the odd package.  
It looked a bit like a jar.  
But what would he do with a jar? Make jam?  
Maybe it was a cookie jar.  
He didn't eat cookies though.

He smiled to himself.

He had never really been able to guess his gifs.  
Yet he had always liked them.

It made him wonder how that person knew him so well.

He pushed himself back up and put the note to the others.  
He was so going to put them all into his photo album and have a picture at the end with him and his secret admirer.  
He would always remember this.

This was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

_'You're the best that has ever happened to me in my life'_

He grinned stupidly and took the gift.  
It felt a tad heavy, too.  
And it was slightly warm.  
He blinked, wondering what could stay warm like that for several hours.

Maybe a thermos?  
What did he want with a thermos?  
He wouldn't mind one, but he didn't really think he'd need one either.

He slowly removed the green ribbon.  
He loved these ribbons.  
He had no clue what he was going to do with them, but he couldn't get himself to throw them away.  
Not the ribbons, not the wrapping paper.  
Nico slowly removed that, too.

As he pulled the inside out, he laughed.

"Oh gods, really?", he asked the empty room and held up the object.

It was a jar, alright.  
A jar with a small fire dancing inside it.  
It was like a small night light that gave off warmth as well as light.

On the lid was writing.

_[Here's some light for your shadows, my Ghost King!]_

Nico held it tightly against his chest, smiling.  
He didn't like the darkness much.  
And his admirer had just gotten him something to help him keep it at bay.

He gently put it on his bedside table, adoring the way it softly lit the room.  
Then he fell back into his pillow, clutching Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

Could he just lie here and close his eyes and wait until it was tomorrow so his admirer could come again?

*****

"How does this thing even work?", Will asked, mesmerized by the jar of fire.

Jason and Percy stood right behind him, staring at it in wonder as well.  
Nico was just lying on his stomach on his bed, smiling like an idiot, clutching Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

"I have no idea whether this would be something from the Hephaestus or the Hecate cabin.", Jason muttered, shaking his head.

Nico still smirked.

"It's so beautiful.", Percy uttered, stunned.

Nico rolled around in his bed, pushing down the urge to squeal.  
His admirer had stayed with him until he had woken up.

The three looked around at him.  
He instantly put on an indifferent expression, looking at his hands.

All three smiled and came over, sitting down on his bed.

"So, what did you two do last night that made him practically worship you and turn you into such a mess?", Will asked suggestively, but Nico just grinned broadly.

"Wouldn't you love to know.", he teased, rolling away from them, Mrs. O'Leary still pressed tightly against him.

He was wearing his Christmas jumper again.  
It simply felt too comfortable.  
He was so going to wear it on Christmas.

Percy and Jason chuckled.

"Somebody is in a good mood again, today.", Jason muttered.

"That admirer does him good.", Percy agreed.

Nico turned around and looked at him.  
The others did as well.

Percy blushed. "I didn't mean it like that! I meant he makes Nico happy!", he defended himself, causing them all to chuckle.

Then Will turned to Nico.

"But you two aren't actually doing it, right? Remember, he's cruel for letting you wait so long for him. Give him a good case of blue balls."

Nico threw his pillow at him, unwilling to sacrifice Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

"Shut up!", he exclaimed, though he was laughing.

The others were, too.  
He looked at them fondly.

Sadly, he had no idea whatsoever who of them was his admirer.  
He'd love to know.

Yet he always let the chances pass.  
Maybe he didn't want to know?  
It was an inner conflict of his, really.

He wanted to know, but he was worried what would happen when he found out.  
He would date him.  
That was without question.

Nico looked at his friends again.  
Did it really matter who it was?  
Nico's gaze fell on him, again.

He pushed the thought forming out of his mind and locked it firmly away.  
It didn't matter.  
He wanted his admirer.  
The person that made him feel good.  
Nico wanted to make him feel good, too.  
He wanted to be with him and spend time with him.  
Actually date.

Nico's insides churned.  
He was one sappy guy.  
Could it really be true that there was somebody who could actually love him like that?  
To just do something like this in the hope of getting a chance with him? To make him happy?  
Treating him like something precious, something desirable?

He gazed fondly at the jar of fire.  
Apparently, there was.

Percy and Jason grinned at him.

"Come on, let's grab breakfast.", they said, pulling him out of bed.

He wailed and held on to his bed post, but they still pulled him out mercilessly, dragging him with them towards the door while Will laughed and got his shoes and aviator's jacket.

"Don't wanna~, can't we all just go back to bed and forget it's day and act like it's night?", he asked hopefully, making them all laugh.

He pouted, slipping into his boots and putting on his jacket, though he really didn't want to go outside.

It was cold.  
It was snowy.  
It was cold.

He looked back towards his bed wistfully.

"Nico, seriously, I think your admirer will come cuddling with you first chance he gets, again. Judging by his note he wants it as much as you do.", Will reassured him, patting his shoulder.

Nico felt his ears turning red as he fixed his hair in a quick ponytail.  
He had really gotten the hang of that.

"By the way, nice hickey.", Will also added, nodding towards Nico's neck.

Nico flinched and touched the mark lightly, having forgotten about it completely.  
Jason and Percy shot around.

"Hickey?", both asked, stunned.

Nico blushed and took his hand away.  
Both boys gaped at him.  
Percy's expression turned suggestive.

"My, my, Nico. Remember what I said, keep the lube ready.", he said, winking at Nico.

He blushed harder and put on his scarf. "Shush."

"Oh, you like it, don't you deny it.", Percy teased.

"It is a bit surprising though, isn't it? Leaving a hickey?", Will asked, looking at the other two.

Jason shrugged. "Probably wanted to prove he's his. After yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised."

Percy nodded. "He probably went like: 'Yo bishes, y'all kno he's mine. You touch = you dead.'", he exclaimed all gangsta-like.

Nico chuckled uneasily.  
Seriously?

"Actually, I wanted this.", he then said quietly.

They all looked around at him in surprise.  
He only shrugged with a lopsided grin and walked out his cabin door.  
They hurried after him a second later, wrapping their arms around him and ruffling through his just fixed hair, laughing and telling him they hadn't expected him to be so lewd.  
Nico only laughed and pushed them away playfully as they made their way to the dining pavilion.

*****

During breakfast, Bill had come up to Nico, asking him shyly whether he'd be training today again.  
Nico hadn't planned on it, but since Bill had taken up the courage to approach him, he couldn't very well say no.  
He still remembered how Bill's new friends had stood some feet behind him, all looking stunned and impressed.

Percy happily hacked away at him, while Jason was slashing at dummies, showing kids how to decapitate monsters in all possible ways.

Other 8-year olds spent their vacations drawing and playing video games.  
Here, 8-year olds spent their vacations learning how to use any sort of weapon from dagger to scythe, bows and slingshots obviously included, to chop off different body parts the most efficiently.

Nico blocked Percy's blows effortlessly and checked on Will, who was showing off the locations of all the vital organs on a big dummy the shape of a telekhine.  
He had already shown off his skills with the bow earlier, leaving no doubt he was worthy of being son of Apollo.  
Then again, with him being the awesome healer he was, nobody doubted that in the first place.

The other kids around them cheered for either Percy or Nico in their little duel.

Of course, there were way more people cheering for Percy, but that was to be expected.  
Nico was surprised to have anybody on his side at all in the first place.  
He blocked another blow and counterattacked, feigning for Percy's right and going for his left.  
Percy of course realized and blocked the blow at last moment, making everybody hold their breath.

They smirked at each other.  
For a moment, they lowered their weapons.

"So, enough warming up. Ready for the real battle?", Nico asked casually.

Percy grinned broadly. "Bring it on, Ghost King."

There was a murmur of astonishment going through the rows.  
Had they really thought this was the best the two could do?  
Well, they were about to find out they were wrong.  
Percy and Nico went into their stances again.

Then they were at each other, slashing and stabbing and blocking and feigning at top speed, making several kids gasp and all of them move back to give them more space.  
Nico and Percy practically danced through the arena, not holding back whatsoever.  
There was no need to.  
They were pretty well balanced.  
Nico tried to corner Percy, but all he succeeded in was cutting into Percy's Camp Half-Blood sweater, making him gape at Nico in mock shock before throwing himself at him again.

"You better not harm my sweater, Percy, or I'll have to impale you!", Nico called warningly and blocked attack after attack.

Percy only laughed.

"Wouldn't want to damage it for the life of me. Looks too good on you, Neeks."

Nico shook his head grinning and went on the offensive again, pushing him further and further across the field, passing Jason and Will who were also watching quite curious.  
Percy feigned at Nico's left and aimed at the right, narrowly missing Nico's sweater.

"Ok, this is it.", Nico hissed, jumping back.

Percy blinked, wondering what he was going to do, but next moment, Nico had taken off both his scarf and his sweater, folding them neatly together into a pile on the floor.

Percy chuckled. "Really?"

"You're too careless. Plus, I don't want them to get dirty from your sweat."

"Whoa, that's rude."

Nico only grinned.  
Nico didn't care that he was standing shirtless in front of tons of kids.  
He rather had that than a slice through his gifts.

Then they were at each other again.

Him being shirtless seemed to have two major advantages.  
1\. He could move much better and didn't have to worry about damaging anything  
2\. Percy was most definitely distracted, constantly looking him up and down with a rather odd expression.

Nico grinned to himself, definitely pleased.  
They fought for what seemed like forever, dancing across the arena again.

People were completely nuts about them.  
By now, Nico had almost as many cheers as Percy.

Percy made a face, knowing he was being pushed into a corner.

"Maybe I should take off my sweater as well.", he called.

Nico laughed, shrugging as he slashed at him again.

"Be my guest."

He pulled back and shook his head laughing as Percy actually did it and discarded the piece of clothing on the floor uncaring.  
Though he couldn't resist letting his gaze travel over Percy's naked upper body hungrily.

Just for a splint second.

Percy smirked knowing at him and wriggled his eyebrows.  
Nico raised an eyebrow and pointed his Stygian Iron Sword at him.  
Percy chuckled and raised his own and they were at it again.

There was muttering in the crowd now, several girls practically cooing and swooning.  
Nico and Percy ignored them, their eyes fixed on each other.

"If there was some water nearby you'd be screwed.", Percy called as he narrowly missed a wide slash from Nico, who only laughed.

"And if I were allowed to use my powers you would have been dead a hundred times already."

"Lies. You couldn't harm a fly."

"Flies, no. You, yes."

"Aw, now you're hurting my feelings."

"Oh, sorry, Perce. You know I don't mean it.", Nico said with a broad grin.

"Nah, I know you love me."

Nico rolled his eyes and they kept slashing at each other.  
They danced through the hall again twice, passing Jason and Will again and again who only stood there with arms crossed, watching them bemused.

Nico was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to finish this.  
Then Percy stepped into his own sweater and slipped.

Nico, who had been intending to slash at him, redirected his blow in the last second, though it came at the price of his balance and he toppled after Percy onto the floor.  
Or better, said, onto him.

They stared at each other stunned for a moment.  
Then they both started laughing and Nico got up, holding out his hand to Percy to help him up as well.

"Really? You slipped on your own sweater?", Nico asked, laughing hard.

Percy had burning red ears and collected his downfall off the ground and shaking his head, laughing himself.

"Yeah, rub it in, Neeks. I swear, I'm so going to beat you just this once."

"And there I thought you'd say something like 'I'll make sure I fold my clothes neatly from now on'."

"Nah, impossible."

"But beating me is?"

"Absolutely. I have a really awesome plan."

"You? A plan?"

Percy made a face, raising his weapon. "I have plans too!"

"Yeah, but they never work."

"Lies!"

They rushed at each other again, slashing and hacking away.

"Guys, make it quick! I'm starving.", Will called over.

Nico and Percy looked around incredulously, still slashing at each other.

Will lifted his arms defensively. "Ok, I'll go alone, then. Want me to bring anything?"

"Blue pizza!", Percy instantly called, sidestepping Nico's attack.

Nico therefore tripped him, making him stumble sideways slightly but catch himself, just to throw himself at Nico, who swirled around him easily and attacked his back, but Percy brought his sword around just in time.

"I'll have some pizza, too. Haven't had junk food in ages.", Nico then called.

"You had McDonalds two days ago and ate Jason's fries last night at dinner!", Will exclaimed, making Jason and Percy laugh.

Nico swirled around Percy again so he could face Will.

"Exactly!", he then called and Will rolled his eyes, leaving the arena with Jason.

Percy and Nico concentrated solely on each other again.

"I'm going to beat you today, Neeks."

"I'd love to see that."

"Yeah? Good, cause I'm going to play dirty."

Nico blinked.  
Then he grinned.

"Bring it on, Seaweed Brain."

Percy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and his grin widened.

"Ok, get ready, Neeks. Here I come."

And with that, he lunged himself at Nico.  
Nico blocked and attacked and blocked again, forced to move backwards as to not get flattened by Percy.  
Percy laughed heartily and slashed away at him with a ferocity that made some of the campers gasp in terror.  
Nico only bared his teeth in a mock grin and kept him at bay, though barely.

Then Percy threw himself at Nico again full force and Nico couldn't get out of the way quickly enough.  
They barreled into the floor and Percy brought his sword down right next to Nico's neck.

"Gotcha."

Nico looked surprised for a moment.  
Then he laughed.  
Percy sat on his midriff, panting heavily, looking down at him with a broad grin on his face.  
Nico shook his head unbelieving and let it drop back onto the floor, breathing hard.

"Fine, you win. For now."

There was a roar in the crowd and people cheered and squealed and went completely nuts.  
Nico turned his head and found Bill also cheering, though still for him, which surprised Nico.  
He had kind of lost after all.  
But he only smiled and winked at the Ares kid, who instantly beamed at him and turned around to the girl Nico had noticed before, the one that looked at Bill in that affectionate, admiring way.

Nico chuckled and looked back up at Percy. "So, you're going to get off me or do you enjoy it too much?"

Percy smirked down at him, then got up slowly, holding out his hand to Nico.

"Now put your sweater on, I can see half the kids here drooling all over your abs.", Percy scolded and shoved Nico in the direction of his clothing pile.

Nico laughed.  
Yeah, of course.

He watched Percy slipping into his own sweater, looking around to him.  
Their gazes met.  
Then they smirked and looked away again, at the oncoming masses of kids wanting to know this or that move and congratulating them.

Nico had his hand on his hickey absent-mindedly, touching it softly as he watched Bill approach with his friends.

"That was amazing! Seriously, when I get older, I want to fight just like you do.", he said adoringly, making Nico all warm inside.

"That...that is really cool. How's the work with the spear going? Will told me you were making quite some progress."

Bill practically beamed at him.

"Want to see?", he asked, taking the spear off his back.

Nico shrugged. "Sure, want to fight me?"

The kids gaped at him.  
Bill was all for it.

So then, Nico let Bill fight against him.  
Of course, it wasn't difficult to evade him, but Nico let him hit some blows anyways, encouraging him to go on.

He wasn't half bad.

Nico had met quite some dead soldiers who had had more time with a spear and still sucked at it.  
Bill's friends soon joined the fight, each with their own weapon, charging at Nico.  
Nico blocked them off one by one, telling them to improve this or to do that in that situation.  
It was like learning by doing, just literally learning more as they did.

It was quite fun.

Then they took a break because the kids were completely outpowered already.

"Is that hickey from your girlfriend?", the girl asked when Nico looked around to Will and Jason coming back with the pizza.

Nico hesitated.  
He hadn't really come out to the Camp yet.  
His friends knew, but he had no clue how other people would take it.

Also, it wasn't as if he actually had a 'boyfriend' yet.  
He had a to-be-boyfriend in the form of his admirer, but could he just say boyfriend?

"Nah, that's from his secret lover.", Percy announced behind him, bringing Nico his pizza.

The girl got really big eyes and giggled, looking over to Bill.  
Nico and Percy exchanged meaningful glances.

Then they both chuckled and Nico opened the napkin. "Really? Why am I having blue pizza, too?"

"You know you love it. Stop complaining.", Percy laughed.

Nico made a face but still took a bite.

*****

They spent the entire rest of the day in the arena, though this time they just dueled with each other and a few groups of kids instead of teaching them the theory or moves in general.

It was actually quite fun.

All in all, Nico couldn't even imagine how his life would be without his three friends.  
What if he hadn't decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood?  
He shuddered just thinking about it.

Even though he wasn't really a Christmas person, he absolutely loved this one.

He had never laughed more.  
Never had more fun.  
And the admirer just added to it all.

Last year around this time, he'd been heartbroken about Percy, wondering if he'd ever be happy in his life.  
So much had happened this year.

His time in Tartarus, his time locked up in a jar, the fight against Gaea, the renovation of his cabin (because that had been right up there with the top pains in the ass).

But now, he had a home, he had friends, he had people actually accepting him.  
And he had a to-be-boyfriend.

In the inside, he was squealing again from all the pent-up joy.  
A boyfriend!

Three weeks ago, he wouldn't have thought it possible.

He grinned into the distance as they walked across the snowy Camp towards the cabins, their stomachs stuffed with even more pizza from dinner.

Jason looked around at him.

"What are you thinking about?", he asked quietly, mustering him curiously.

Nico glanced at him. "Just about all the stuff that has happened and how you really never know what's coming. Like, seriously, you think you'll never get accepted anywhere in your life, and suddenly you're in the middle of everything and life is just going great."

Jason chuckled. "Christmas time is also the time of wonders, you know.", he said quietly.

Nico laughed. "Yeah, it's been full of wonders, all right."

"Absolutely.", Percy chimed in, popping up from behind them to walk next to Nico.

"I agree.", Will stated and walked next to Jason.

Nico and Jason chuckled and they made their way to drop each other off at their respective cabins.  
Nico looked up at the darkening sky.  
The day was finally over.

Tomorrow, it would only be 5 more days and he'd finally know who the secret admirer was.

It was scary and amazing at the same time.

And, hopefully, the admirer might sleep with him tonight.  
He blushed.  
Sleep _in his bed_ with him.

He grinned to himself stupidly, still slightly pink in the face.

He loved the Christmas Season.


	21. Day 20: 20th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I love you!  
> I want to tell you so badly right now but I know I'd give myself away if I did.  
> Last night was amazing.  
> You are amazing.  
> I never want to let you go.  
> Hope you like your gift today!  
> Have a nice 20th of December.  
> 5 days left!  
> I can't wait.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: I LOVE YOU!'

**Day 20: Saturday**

Nico heard the door closing and momentarily wanted to shoot up, horrified that he might have missed his admirer.  
But then he heard footsteps coming towards the bed.  
He sighed, visibly relieved and calmed his thumping heart.

The person chuckled. "Good morning, Nico."

Nico smirked slightly and turned towards the sound of the voice.  
He heard a small sound that sounded as if the person put something down.  
Then he felt him lift the blankets slightly, slipping beneath it and into Nico's warm bed.  
Nico instantly turned around, wrapping his arms around him.

He chuckled again. "Somebody's enjoying this."

Nico only snuggled closer to him, feeling him wrap his arms around him tightly.

"I love you, Nico."

Nico smiled, rubbing his face against his chest.  
He mumbled something in return, but had no idea what it really meant.  
The admirer placed a soft kiss on his head, stroking up and down his back again.

"Want me to stay with you until you wake up, again?", he asked quietly after some while, placing another soft kiss on Nico's head.

Nico nodded instantly, moving his face upwards to meet his lips with his own.  
The admirer was the only one where Nico really initiated any kisses himself.  
He sighed against Nico's lips, complying only too willingly.  
This time, he even licked over Nico's bottom lip, gently sucking on it as he pleaded for entrance.  
Nico smirked slightly, parting his lips to let him in.

Gods, he was going to die.

A warm, fuzzy feeling, much stronger than when they usually kissed, spread through him like Greek fire, making his heart beat much faster and his breathing ragged.  
The person moaned quietly, his hands moving over Nico's body, making him shiver beneath the touch and lean into the kiss more, starting up a dance of their tongues as they entangled their legs to get closer to each other.

"Gods, Nico, I love you so much.", he breathed against the kiss and Nico huffed as he felt those lips moving down his jaw to his neck, kissing and nibbling gently, though without really leaving marks this time.

Nico moaned, his hands anchoring themselves in the person's hair.  
He travelled down Nico's neck to his collarbone, kissing and licking and nibbling on his skin and Nico found himself tugging on his hair slightly to pull him back up, needing another one of those kisses right now.  
He instantly complied, coming back up and pressing his lips onto Nico's, letting his tongue slide past Nico's parted lips again.  
Nico huffed and noticed that he must have turned at some point, for he was actually on his back now and the person was on top of him.  
He loved it.  
All of it.  
He wanted this so much.  
All of this.  
And even more.

But he was also beginning to feel the signs that he was completely waking.

His admirer wouldn't want him to wake.  
As they parted, they both panted heavily, foreheads connected.  
Nico began forcing himself back into sleep.

"I love you, Nico.", he heard the voice mutter quietly, lovingly.

He smiled softly, turning with the person as he dropped back next to him, holding him tight and placing kisses on his forehead over and over again.

"And you're one hell of a kisser."

Nico smirked as he urged himself back into sleep, one hand around his lover, the other one clutching his shirt.  
He never wanted to let go.

*****

He woke up half lying on his admirer, his head on his chest, listening to the even beating of his heart.  
He smiled, searching for his arm again.  
Softly squeezing it, his admirer shifted, slowly moving.

Blah, now Nico would have to get off.

He felt soft lips against his forehead and hummed quietly, sliding off him and turning away as to not get tempted to peek.  
The person was quiet, not making a sound, though his fingers still caressed Nico's side of his face gently, showing him what he wished to say.

_I love you._

Nico smiled.  
He heard the usual scribbling again and felt his heart flutter.  
How weird it was to be waking up, knowing full well your mysterious admirer was right next to you in bed, writing you another one of those notes you loved so much, yet not taking a look.  
Not finding out who it was.

Nico was tempted, alright.  
But he didn't do it.  
It was already so much to ask of his admirer to stay with him for so long.  
He wanted him to be able to really trust him.

Soft lips kissed the side of his face and he hummed.  
Then his admirer left his side and the cabin.

Nico sighed, just lying in bed, his eyes closed, already missing the person beside him.  
Then a smile spread on his face.

5 days left.  
Only 5 days.  
He had already survived 20 days.  
5 days and he'd know.  
5 days and they would be able to spend every night together from beginning to end.

He opened his eyes, glad for his jar of fire.  
It kept his cabin lit well enough to see, but not too bright to actually bother him sleeping.  
It was perfect.

He turned to look at it, noticing the small package and the note.  
He sighed happily, though he just stayed like that a while longer, just lying in bed and gazing at his bedside table.

Then Nico finally rolled over and took the note.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I love you!_

_I want to tell you so badly right now but I know I'd give myself away if I did._

_Last night was amazing._

_You are amazing._

_I never want to let you go._

_Hope you like your gift today!_

_Have a nice 20th of December._

_5 days left!_

_I can't wait._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: I LOVE YOU!]_

Nico smiled fondly at the note, then dropped it back onto the bedside table.

He checked the time.

Why was he always waking up around 6am?  
Then again, it was probably better this way.  
In the end the others would barge in and find him sleeping with...well, with one of them.

He shook his head sighing and looked over to his gift of the day.  
A smile tugged at his lips.

He dropped his head back into the pillow, wondering if he should open it now.

He did.

As he removed the ribbon, he wondered once more whether the person wrapped the packages up himself.  
None of his friends would do such a good job at it, would they?

He rolled his eyes, smiling to himself.  
If he started the whole logically-thinking-about-this-thing again, he would still be sitting here on the 25th with a massive headache and still no solution.  
So all he could do was wait.

He slowly opened the wrapping paper, peeking inside.

A DVD?

He thought back to the past Saturdays.  
Actually, that would probably even fit.

He wondered vaguely if the person had some sort of plan for this.

Tuesdays seemed to be candy days, after all.  
Maybe Saturdays were movie days?  
Anyways, he loved it.  
Pulling out the DVD, he chuckled.

Really?  
A Disney DVD?  
His friends would love that.

He placed the Frozen DVD on his bedside table and jumped up to store the wrapping paper and ribbon in his cupboard again, then he left to get cleaned up in the bathroom.

*****

"OK, this is it! Seriously, WHAT are you two doing at night?", Will asked, devastated and looked at Nico as if his life depended on his answer.

Nico only chuckled and shrugged, an innocent expression on his face.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Jason and Percy exchanged bemused glances.  
Will only rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around him, ruffling through his hair as they walked to the dining pavilion.  
He chuckled, pushing him away, checking his ponytail.

"That really does suit you.", Jason said, watching him binding his hair back anew.

Nico smiled at him.  
Only 5 days and he'd know who his admirer was.

That was all that really was on his mind right now.

Grinning to himself like an idiot, his hand absent-mindedly went to his ear, touching on the skull earring.  
The first gift from his admirer.  
His heart was beating loudly in his chest.

Will and Jason put their arms around him, grinning knowingly at him.

"Five days, huh?", Will said smirking.

Nico looked at them both exasperated, but smiled.  
They entered the dining pavilion and went to sit at Percy's table.  
Nobody cared where they sat anymore anyways.

Nico saw Annabeth and Piper at the Athena table alone, sitting close to each other and chatting quietly, happy smiles on their faces.  
He glanced ad Jason and Percy, but they either didn't notice or didn't care.

He still couldn't believe they had split up.  
But seeing the two girls, they really did seem happy together.  
Percy caught his glance, looking around at the two holding hands and giggling, resting their foreheads against each other.

He chuckled. "They seem to be having fun.", he said and Jason looked around as well, smiling.

"Yeah, it's so good they found each other. They fit really well together, don't they?"

"Absolutely. Much better than Annabeth and me, that's for sure.", Percy agreed.

Nico bit into his croissant. Somebody understand these two.  
It seemed almost as if they were rooting for their ex-girlfriends to be together.  
Not that he minded.  
He thought it was great that they hadn't parted in bad ways.

Will munched on his toast. "Well, it was kind of obvious. They've been head over heels for each other for ages. I think they were already completely in love when they came back to Camp."

Jason and Percy chuckled.

"Yeah, I know, right? I remember Pipes would keep talking about Annabeth here, Annabeth there. But I didn't think much of it, because I had my mind on...other things. What with the Camps and all...", Jason told them, though he seemed to hesitate at the end.

Nico frowned but shrugged it off.

"Same. She would talk to me for ages about Piper and would constantly jump up and rush to her whenever they saw each other. In the beginning, I thought it was just me overthinking things. After all, we did want to go to Camp Jupiter and finish college and everything. But then I...well...I found a reason to stay, didn't I?"

For some reason, Percy looked at Nico as he said that, making Nico blink and flush, then scold himself.  
Percy didn't mean it like that!  
Will looked from him to Percy and back.  
Then he grinned and wrapped his arm around him.

"And Neeks found a reason to stay as well: Me!", he claimed and laughed, ruffling through Nico's hair again.

Nico rolled his eyes, red in the face.  
Seriously?  
Fine, he admitted, he had maybe kind of hoped Will and him might be something more at some point and had stayed at Camp to get to know him better.  
Not to mention he would have had to stay until he healed up anyways.

To his surprise, Percy didn't say anything to that, just looking between them quietly, then looking down to his plate, poking around in his blue waffles.  
Jason threw him a sideways glance, shrugging slightly towards Nico.

Nico shoved Will away.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get cocky. I mainly stayed to get the cabin fixed up. Seriously, you guys saw how it looked. There I came up with such a cool design for the outside, and people put something like coffins inside."

They laughed at that. Even Percy.

He smiled.

*****

They decided to build snowmen again. Since most people at Camp Half-Blood had by now lost the interest in the snow, they usually huddled around at the Camp Fire, which left enough space for a whole battalion of snowmen to be built.

While Nico made his traditional, suckish snowmen again, the others created the most amazing things.

He took a lot of pictures again.  
Though every time he zapped through them, he was reminded of the fact that he still had the pictures of Percy and him on his laptop.  
They were in his bin, alright.  
But he hadn't gotten himself to really delete them.

He sighed, turning around with his gaze still on his camera screen, blindly running into Percy's back.  
Percy stumbled, falling into his just built snowman.

"Oh no! Nico!", he wailed devastated as his creation fell apart into a heap of snow.

Nico looked horrified. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry!"

Percy put on his pouting face.

"And I was almost done, too…", he complained and bent down, taking a handful of snow, looking at it upset.

Nico was about to ask whether he'd want his help to rebuild it, when Percy suddenly grinned maliciously and looked up at him.  
Nico had a feeling what was about to come.

"Percy…no…no!", he said, raising his arms in defense.

Percy's grin widened and next moment, he lunged at Nico.

"No!", Nico yelped, trying to get away, but Percy grabbed the back of his collar and next moment, Nico could feel the snow getting shoved down his neck to his back.

"Eek!", he squealed, horrified, trying to scram.

Jason and Will looked around, laughing.  
Percy's arms wrapped around his midriff.

"Yes!", he laughed into Nico's ear and threw Nico sideways into the heap of snow.

Cold!

Percy and him began rolling around in the snow, Percy trying to keep him there and bury him and Nico trying frantically to get away, complaining and laughing at the same time.  
The other two joined in, throwing themselves onto Nico and Percy, and soon they were one big mess with snow everywhere.

Literally everywhere.

Nico got the worst of it.  
You'd expect since all three of them only got along with each other somewhat because of Nico, they'd have some mercy on him and go for each other.  
Pfft, far off.  
If anything, they singled him out even more.

When they finally stopped and he opened his aviator's jacket, snow tumbled out of it in whole chunks.

The others roared with laughter.

All of them had wet hair and bits of snow falling off as well, though none as bad as Nico and Percy.  
He looked around to Percy, just to see him shaking his head hurriedly, making snow fly everywhere and then insta-dry himself.

Ok, nevermind him.

Percy caught his glance and winked.  
Nico made a face and looked away.

"Fine, let me dry you guys again.", Percy chuckled and went over, touching them by the shoulder and sucking the water out of their clothes, drying them.

Then he went over to Nico, though Nico could swear he got way closer to him than the others.

"Aw, Nico, you look like a wet poodle. Come here.", he muttered, pulling him into a hug.

"Well, you did a good job turning me into one.", Nico sulked, though he let him hug him – for the sake of getting dry, of course.

Percy chuckled.

"Well, you DID destroy my snowman. It was going to be such an awesome one too.", Percy sighed and let go of him, though reluctantly.

"Yeah, yeah. Want me to help you build another one?", Nico asked, stepping back and noticing Jason glance at them questioningly.

Percy's face lit up.

"That'd be cool. Hey, we could make a reaaaaaaaally big one!", he exclaimed, spreading his arms in an attempt to show Nico how big he wanted to make it.

Nico only raised an eyebrow. "Erm…ok? But I can only do normal snowmen, just as a warning."

"We're gonna make a normal one. They're cute when you make them."

Nico blinked and felt his ears reddening.  
Which reminded him that his ponytail was completely askew. He removed the rubber band, letting his hair fall down normally again. For some reason, it almost felt weird not having his hair bound back.

He chuckled to himself, wondering how many more things had changed ever since his secret admirer.

Seriously, maybe he should believe in Christmas wonders after all.  
He was spending more time with his friends than ever before.  
He had a person that loved him and wanted to be with him.  
He was actually really, really happy for the first time in forever.  
Not that he had been unhappy before – ok, maybe he had been, but not THAT unhappy.  
He had been…content.

Things had improved compared to a year ago and he had felt better.  
But he hadn't been this happy.  
It was almost as if his insides were completely overflowing with joy.

He grinned around at the others, who had noticed Percy rushing off and start making a rather very big bottom part to their snowman and now began working on their own oversized snow-woman, judging by the two 'smaller' balls Will was making.

Boys.

Nico chuckled and went to help Percy.

*****

An hour later, they stared up at their finished creations.

"Don't you think we overdid it a bit?", Nico asked doubtful.

Percy had his arms crossed and looked critically up at their snowman.

"You think so? I was just wondering where we're going to get a big enough carrot for the nose from."

Nico couldn't suppress a laugh.  
Their snowman had turned out around as big as the Athena Parthenos and at least double its width.  
The fitting snow-woman was a bit smaller but made up for that with the largest possible bosom.  
Nico could only shake his head.

They had used stones for eyes, mouth and buttons, though not one each but around ten or twenty, due to the size.  
Still, it did look rather nice.  
Especially with the big broken off branches as arms, looking as if the two were holding hands.

Finding the suitable branches had been quite an adventure, because all the broken wood was covered in ice and snow and most of the visible stuff could only be considered 'twigs'.

"We should give them names.", Jason suggested to Nico's right.

"Sure, how about…erm…", Will started, then stopped, trying to come up with a good name.

Percy chuckled. "And people tell ME to think before I talk."

Nico rolled his eyes as he saw Will turning around, glaring.

"Guys, don't even go there. Else we'll be calling them Percy and Will and I'll get the Hecate kids to bewitch them so they'll never melt."

Percy and Will looked around at him, surprised.

Then Will laughed and crossed his arms behind his head. "Sure, but he's the girl."

"Why am I the girl? YOU are much more girly than me.", Percy instantly complained.

Nico facepalmed. Were they seriously having this conversation now?  
Jason chuckled next to him.

"How am I more girly than you? You're the one crying every time we watch Finding Nemo!"

"Hey! Don't you dare use that against me. Plus, may I remind you that my name at least can't be turned into a girl's name, Willa?"

Will scowled. "Never. Ever. Call. Me. Willa.", he growled.

Nico blinked. He had never seen Will actually mad.  
Somehow, he had a feeling he didn't want to see it either.

"Guys, stop it. We're naming them Jack and Elsa. Happy now?", he interrupted them and they both looked around at him.

Jason put his arm around him. "Those are good names. I agree. And you'd both make fabulous girls. You certainly are bitchy enough."

They both glared daggers at him while Nico had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.

"Excuse me?", Annabeth's voice sounded behind them.

They looked around.  
Annabeth and Piper were standing there, arms crossed, looking at Jason.

"Was that some sort of sexist remark that girls are bitchy and guys aren't?", Piper asked, glaring.

When Piper glared at people, it was not just intimidating, it was outright scary.

"Oh shit.", Jason muttered and they ran for it.

*****

They hid in the Apollo cabin until the danger had passed, much to the amusement of Will's siblings, that all chuckled and struck up horrible notes on guitar and other music instruments and joked about giving them out as well as making up verses that didn't rhyme whatsoever, usually about Will and his 'lover boys', much to their displeasure.

When they left for Nico's cabin, there was quite a bit of whistling and somebody threw a pack of condoms at Will's head.

To Nico's horror, Will actually picked them up and glanced at them warily. "Cool, free condoms. We were kinda running low, weren't we? Can I have some lube with that, though?"

That got them to shut up and made Percy and Jason chuckle, wrapping their arms around a gaping Nico and pulling him out of the cabin.

How could they be so cool with stuff like that?!  
He would have died from embarrassment right then and there.

Will chuckled, pocketing the condoms. "Don't look so shocked, Neeks. They know we aren't like that."

Percy and Jason chuckled, their arms still around Nico, squeezing him slightly.

Nico's face was still flushed.

*****

"Are we going to spend time together like this after Christmas, too?", Nico asked as they started up the film, all sitting against the wall next to each other, the blanket over them.

Nico also had his Christmas blanket wrapped around him from behind. It was simply too comfortable.

"I don't see why not.", Will instantly replied with a mouth full of chips.

"If you want us to I also don't see a problem. But remember you'll most likely be dating by then. Wouldn't want to interrupt your quality time together.", Percy said, winking.

Nico blushed and turned to Jason, who looked around at him smiling.

"I'd love to. Whenever I'm around, that is."

True, Jason would have to leave again.  
Nico didn't really want him to. He enjoyed his company way too much to only see him a few days every other month.

It was a miracle he was here for so long already.  
There was a lot of work after all. He had asked a lot from the gods and intended to keep his word.  
Nico admired him for his decision.  
Jason really was a great guy.  
But Nico knew how difficult it must be for him to actually follow up on his word, barely getting any rest, responsibility weighing him down even more than before.

Still, he smiled and nodded.

"That's good then. I enjoy spending my time with you guys."

They all looked around at him fondly, but he had his eyes fixed on the screen, his cheeks red.

*****

The film turned out to be quite cool. It wasn't one of Nico's favorites, but it certainly was interesting so far.

"Oh gods…", the other three muttered horrified as Elsa hit Anna straight in the heart with her ice.

Nico looked around at their shocked faces bemused.  
They had killed monsters, stood up to the Earth itself and almost died in the progress, yet they all sat there, horrified, because a fictive person got hit with ice.  
He wasn't sure whether that was idiotic, sad or endearing.

As the film continued, he felt a hand touching his thigh tentatively.  
It was Jason's.

Nico looked around at him surprised, but Jason only smiled at him gently, so Nico blinked and concentrated on the film again.  
They watched as Anna and Kristoff were almost married off by those stone gnome-things Nico didn't understand.

He was a tad too occupied with Jason's hand, now gently stroking his thigh.

Because of the blanket, nobody could see, of course, but Nico couldn't help looking around at the other two to check whether they noticed anything.  
But Will and Percy were utterly transfixed with the happenings on the screen.

"No! Go kiss Kristoff, you stupid girl. What do you want with that other weirdo?", Percy muttered, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth and cursing under his breath.

Will nodded wildly, clutching Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

Nico rolled his eyes and looked around to Jason, who was also looking at the TV, but resumed the stroking of his thigh, which actually felt quite good.  
He wanted to lean against him, but decided against it. Instead, he watched as Anna finally got back to whatever-his-name-was.

"So, what's going to happen? Is he going to kiss her and she'll still die because she likes the other guy?", he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Shht! Don't spoil it!", Will hissed and leaned forward slightly.

Nico chuckled to himself and shifted, causing Jason to pull his hand back for a moment.  
Nico looked around at him questioning and Jason turned to him, surprised. Then he grinned and put his hand back on Nico's thigh.  
Nico fidgeted slightly with his hands, embarrassed, but then he looked back at the screen.

"WHAT?!", rang through his cabin a minute later as the whatever-his-name-was guy turned out to only have used Anna and left her to die to get the throne.

Nico's lips split into a sardonic grin. "That was unexpected. I like it."

They looked around at him with big eyes. "You're so cruel.", Will muttered meekly. Nico shrugged. "We all know they won't let her die."

"Yeah, I bet Kristoff is going to save her.", Percy said and freed Mrs. O'Leary Jr. from Will's clutches just to wrap his arms around her himself.

Jason chuckled and squeezed Nico's thigh lightly, focusing back on the film.

*****

It turned out completely different than expected, of course. Nico loved it. Maybe this was going to turn into one of his favorites after all.  
They talked about the film for ages afterwards, still huddled together in bed. Sadly, it got so comfortable that nobody wanted to get up in the evening either.

"Can't we just stay here overnight? We ate so many snacks I doubt any of us need dinner, anyways.", Will wailed and looked around at Nico, who was just eating another chip.

"No.", he replied simply and crossed his arms in front of him.

"Why not?", Percy complained, his head leaning back against the wall, looking rather sleepy.

Jason chuckled. "I think Nico is worried his admirer won't appear if we're all around."

Nico blushed. "Am not."

Actually, he was. If all of them were here, his admirer might still leave him a note, but he definitely wouldn't cuddle with him. That would be too risky since one of the other two could notice.  
Percy and Will grinned at him knowingly. Blah.

"Aww, come on, Neeks. Have a heart. You can make out with him tomorrow, again.", Will complained, stretching and snuggling closer to him, closing his eyes.

Nico blushed. "We're not making out!"

Will opened one eye lazily and looked up at him mischievously. "Then I don't see why we can't stay over."

Nico looked away, pursing his lips. "Because."

"Fine. Then no sleep-over. But I insist on another film."

"Yes, I want to watch another one as well. Something funny.", Percy agreed.

"I'd be ok with another film, too.", Jason also announced and Nico groaned.

"Fine. Who'll get up and get it?"

Nobody moved.

Nico rolled his eyes and started crawling out of bed, moving over to his drawer with the DVD's. He randomly picked the first comedy he found and returned to the others, who were watching him out of tired eyes.

He could only hope they wouldn't fall asleep.

*****

Needless to say, they all fell asleep.

Nico had nodded off himself for a short amount of time, which was why he had failed to prevent this.  
He looked around at the others around him.

Percy had flopped sideways on his pillow, still clutching Mrs. O'Leary Jr., pressing his face into the plush toy. Will had also flopped sideways and curled into a ball, his arms wrapped around part of Nico's Christmas blanket. Jason was still somewhat sitting, though he was now leaning against Nico, his head against Nico's.

He could only sigh.  
Just great.

And he had so looked forward to snuggling with his admirer again.  
But nothing for it. He wasn't that desperate that he'd wake them all up again and kick them out. It was a long way past curfew after all.  
After another sigh, he started carefully moving Jason so he could get out of the bed.  
Then he took a picture because it was simply too adorable.

Nico wondered what he was going to do now.

If he left them the way they were now, Will and Jason would get cold pretty quickly and he had a feeling Percy was going to stretch at some point, which would lead to him kicking Will.  
He sighed exasperated and climbed onto his bed, cautiously moving Jason to lay down properly, though with his head on the wrong side of the bed.  
Jason let him without complaint, not even partly waking up or anything.  
Nico then jumped back out of bed and got him a pillow from one of the other three beds in his cabin, urging Jason onto it.  
Then he moved on to Will, moving him in the direction of Jason, since he still didn't trust Percy's feet.  
Which turned out to be the right decision, for Percy really did move right at the moment Nico had just gotten Will's head out of the way.

Seriously, those guys.

He moved him over next to Jason and got an additional blanket for them in case Percy wanted to keep it to himself.  
Now the only question was: Where would Nico sleep?  
He was so not going to get back into his bed when the others were laying in it like that.

Nico looked around at the other beds.  
They didn't look very inviting. Nico generally avoided the other beds in his cabin. Also, they looked cold. Really cold.

He sighed defeated and went to at least retrieve his Christmas blanket.

But he didn't get very far.

"Nico…?", Percy asked quietly, lifting his head slightly to look at him out of sleepy eyes.

Nico blinked.

"What are you doing?", the dark-haired muttered in a low voice.

Nico tugged on the blanket. "Nothing. Get back to sleep, Percy."

Just when he was about to get it out from beneath Percy, Percy grabbed his arm and pulled him into bed.

"What the…", Nico yelped, but then he was already in Percy's arms.

"You stay here. This is your bed, after all."

Nico tried to push himself away from Percy. He had to admit he was nice and warm and the embrace was certainly inviting, but he was so damn close!

"I-It's ok…", he muttered, but Percy's arms held him tightly pressed against him.

"Shush. Sleep.", Percy ordered in a hushed voice and it sounded as if he was already half asleep again.

Nico felt the heat radiating from Percy. It felt so nice…  
He found himself slowly relaxing, his arms still between them against Percy's chest. He could feel the even heartbeat beneath his fingers.  
Slowly, he closed his eyes, inwardly still fighting and arguing with himself. But then he drifted off to sleep anyways, unconsciously snuggling closer to Percy.  
The dark-haired smiled down at him fondly for a moment, nuzzling his face against his hair.

"Good night, Nico."

Nico only hummed, already fast asleep.


	22. Day 21: 21st of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> Sorry about this, it wasn't my intention to have all of us sleep over.  
> I'll make up for it tomorrow, I promise.  
> Though I do admit it's nice spending a whole night with you in your cabin, even with our friends around.  
> Next time, we're going to put them in a different bed though.  
> I love you, Nico.  
> Hope you enjoy today's gift. It's something for the whole group.  
> Have a nice 4th Advent Sunday, my Angel.  
> Four days left, then the mystery will be solved.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer'

**Day 21: 4. Advent Sunday**

When he woke up in the early morning, he was sandwiched between Jason and Percy with Will laying sideways over all of them.

Nico could only sigh exasperated and fell back into his pillow, just to start chuckling a moment later. This was just so bizarre.

Percy moved slightly, tightening his grip around Nico and muttering something beneath his breath Nico didn't catch. Nico turned his head to look at Jason, who was also fast asleep. He wondered vaguely when he had come up from the other side of the bed.

Nico sighed and looked back at Percy. He looked so peaceful sleeping. His dark, messy hair was all over the place, his face utterly relaxed and his mouth slightly open, a trickle of saliva running down. Nico smirked.

Then he found himself brushing a strand of hair out of Percy's face. He shifted, frowning and opened one eye sleepily, looking down at Nico.  
Nico blinked.  
Percy did, too.  
Then he yawned and stretched, though he didn't let go of Nico.

Jason moved behind him, wrapping his arms tighter around him as well now.

"Why, hello there. Had a nice sleep?", Percy asked quietly, grinning down at him with only half opened eyes.

Nico vaguely wondered if this was how he'd be greeted every morning if Percy was his admirer.  
The thought made his heart beat faster and his face flush.

"Y-Yeah, thanks.", he stammered, trying to get away again.

Jason instinctively reacted, pulling him away with a low growl and placing his face at Nico's crook of the neck.  
Nico looked petrified.  
Percy blinked, taking in the situation in front of him.

"Need help?", he asked quietly, propping himself up on his elbows.

Nico couldn't even collect himself to reply.  
Percy chuckled and lifted his hand, pinching Jason's nose with a crooked smile.  
Jason growled again, but immediately let go of Nico and turned around.  
Nico blinked. How had Percy known that would help?

"T-Thanks.", he muttered awkwardly and sat up, checking his chances to get out of bed.

Percy also sat up. "Glad to help. Sorry that we fell asleep though. Now you didn't get to do whatever you're doing with your admirer, huh?"

Nico waved off, though he inwardly sighed disappointed. He'd have liked that.  
Then again, one of them was his admirer anyways, so in a way they had just spent the entire night together.  
Nico looked around to his bedside table to check the time, when he froze.

"Nico?", Percy asked, but Nico scrambled over Jason out of bed, almost falling face down onto the floor.

There, sure enough, laid a note and a red envelope with green bow.

"What the…", Nico muttered.

How could this be? They had been here all night, right?  
Nico looked around at Jason and Will, still fast asleep, then at Percy, who had sat up and was looking at him, then at the bedside table.

Then he grinned. "What? You thought he wasn't going to give you anything?"

"How? When?", Nico asked, confused.

Percy shrugged, climbing over Will and Jason to get out of bed.

"Probably left sometime in the night?", he guessed.

Nico found himself gazing at Percy.  
So it wasn't him.  
It didn't surprise him, of course.  
It couldn't have been Percy. Nico had known that.  
With his dyslexia and impatient nature Percy was the least possible person to be his admirer. Not to mention the fact that he was straight.

Percy frowned, tilting his head slightly. "What's wrong?"

Nico shook his head and looked down at the table again. Then he picked up the note carefully.

_[Dear Nico,_

_Sorry about this, it wasn't my intention to have all of us sleep over._

_I'll make up for it tomorrow, I promise._

_Though I do admit it's nice spending a whole night with you in your cabin, even with our friends around._

_Next time, we're going to put them in a different bed though._

_I love you, Nico._

_Hope you enjoy today's gift. It's something for the whole group._

_Have a nice 4th Advent Sunday, my Angel._

_Four days left, then the mystery will be solved._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer ]_

Nico sighed and looked around again.  
The note would have made him smile any other day, but he still felt slightly…sad.  
He scolded himself.  
What the hell was he sad about?  
That he didn't get to cuddle with his admirer?  
That Percy wasn't the admirer?

Stupid.

He felt arms wrapping around him from behind.

"Are you ok?", Percy asked, his voice barely audible. Nico nodded quickly and passed him the note.

"Yeah, I'm fine.", he said, though he didn't look around at Percy, stepping out of his embrace.

Percy winced. "Nico, I'm really sorry for sleeping over. I didn't mean to…disturb…"

Nico waved it off. "I'm not upset, Percy. Don't worry about it."

He could still feel Percy's gaze on him but focused on the envelope instead.  
Another letter?

He picked it up, though he didn't really feel like opening it right now. He sighed and put it back down.

"I'll…I'll be in the bathroom…", he muttered and walked past Percy, who was still looking after him worriedly.

What the hell was wrong with him?

*****

When he came back, Jason and Will were also awake, sitting on the bed looking utterly disheveled, even worse than Percy when he woke up.

"He didn't even open his gift yet. I really think he's upset.", Percy muttered quietly before noticing Nico coming back.

"Morning, Neeks. We wanted to say we're…", Will started, but Nico held up a hand.

"I'm not mad at you guys. It's ok. I'm just…I wanted to wait until you're awake before opening it. It does state it's 'for the group' after all.", he explained and snatched the envelope from the bedside table.

"But we're still sorry. It's all because it's simply too comfortable in your bed.", Will stated and Nico raised an eyebrow at him.

"So you're blaming my bed for sleeping over?"

"Yes."

Nico rolled his eyes, but felt his lips twitch.

"Shame on you, bed. Really, I would have expected better of you.", he then scolded his bed and Percy chuckled.

"Still, I also want to apologize, Nico. I didn't want to interrupt your quality time with your admirer.", Jason muttered ruefully.

Nico sighed loudly.

"I'm not upset! Thinking about it, I just spent the entire night with him, didn't I?", he exclaimed and fumbled with his envelope, trying to open it without tearing.

"Well…if you look at it that way…", Will muttered thoughtfully.

Jason nodded towards the envelope. "What do you think is in there? 'For the group', it said. I would have said another love letter. But how's that for us?"

"Maybe it's a love letter to all of us?", Percy suggested, chuckling.

Nico rolled his eyes, though he was also smiling.  
Then he finally managed to open it and looked inside.

"Well?", Jason and Will asked, eyeing him expectantly.

Percy came closer and looked over his shoulder. "A Christmas card?"

Nico pulled it out and opened it, just to flinch and hastily close it to hold the content before it fell to the ground.  
He opened it slowly again.

"Tickets?", he muttered, more to himself than to the others.

"What tickets?", Jason and Will asked, now also getting up.

Nico frowned and took the tickets, passing them to the guys while trying to read what was written in the card.

But all it said on it was _'I love you! Have fun in the park!'_ followed by an address he didn't know.

Park?

"Nico! Those are tickets for an amusement park!", Will exclaimed and Nico looked up.

"What? But, when are we supposed to go there?"

Jason held out one of the tickets in front of his face. "Today, of course."

Nico stared at the date on the card. How the hell had his admirer been able to get these?  
And why for all of them? And how had he paid for these?

Percy chuckled next to him. "That's actually really smart. He can't take you there alone, so he's inviting everyone along."

Nico blinked.

"Oh my, that's going to be so much fun! This one is actually supposed to be really cool.", Will exclaimed, excited.

Nico still blinked, staring at the card.

"We'll have to borrow your zombie chauffeur to get there, though.", Jason said thoughtfully.

Nico still stared at the card.

"Nico? What is it? You don't like it?", Percy asked him quietly.

The other two looked around.

"I…I…", he started, unsure what to say.

He looked up at them, lost.

"I have never been to an amusement park before…", he then muttered.

His friends looked at him surprised for a moment.  
Then they laughed and wrapped him in a hug, ruffling through his hair or just holding him tight.

"It's going to be great, Nico.", Jason assured him. "We're going to try out all the rides. You bet on it.", Will exclaimed and Percy grinned broadly at him.

"Don't forget to pack your camera. This is going to be one memorable day."

*****

They left right after breakfast. Since they'd be gone for the whole day and it was quite a distance away from Camp, they decided to tell Chiron, but he already knew for some reason.

Nico would have loved to ask who told him, but he doubted he'd get an answer, plus his friends were right behind him.  
And he didn't want to spoil the surprise either.  
Of course he wanted to know, but it was only four more days.  
Only four more agonizingly long days.

They all packed some money, though Nico decided to at least pay for all the food and drink they were going to buy, since his dad WAS the god of riches after all.  
Money was his least worry, so he saw no reason why they would have to pay for all that.

Plus, he wanted to make things easier on his admirer.  
Seriously, none of his three friends had money to waste. If his admirer truly was one of them, that meant they must have really saved up for all this, and for a pretty long time, too.  
His other gifts hadn't been the cheapest either, after all.

The whole ride long the others told him the craziest stories.

It was actually quite funny, though it gave Nico a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
He was nervous.  
What was he to expect? He just hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself.

Will was sitting in the front this time.

Nico couldn't care less how they seated themselves, but somehow both Jason and Percy claimed this was the best way for them all and decided that they'd sit like this when going to Camp Jupiter as well – which was why Will was quite sulky right now.

Nico was too occupied with the oncoming task to really be of any help, though.

Then again, he wouldn't have known what to say, either.

*****

The amusement park was gigantic. At least to Nico.  
They stood in a long queue at the entrance, waiting to show their tickets.  
Nico looked around in wonder.

Colors. Noises. People. Rollercoaster. Stands. Even more colors. Loud noises. Tons of people. Dangerous looking rollercoasters. So many stands.

And that was just what he could see from the outside.

"Tickets, please.", the lady at the counter said and Nico gave her the four tickets.

She scanned them and clicked something on her computer, then made a tear in each of them (which made Nico wince) and passed them back to them.  
He pocketed his. This was so going in his photo album.  
Together with all the photos they'd be taking.

Good thing he had decided to take all the pictures off his camera. Looking around the park, there was so much to photograph the camera would most likely be full by the time they left.  
And he wanted to take pictures of as many things as possible.  
Which was why he was already holding up his camera, taking random pictures of rides and his friends as they looked around and grinned at him.

"So, Neeks, what do you want to do first?", Jason asked and Nico looked around in terror.

"I…I have no idea!", he exclaimed, horrified that he'd have to decide.

They laughed and Jason put his arm around him. "Don't worry. We have time. Let's go down this way first and try out whatever catches your attention, ok?"

Nico looked around at all the rides. "Uh…but they kind of all catch my attention…", he then muttered.

Percy laughed and winked at him. "Then we're going to try them all."

Will grinned broadly. "Oh, this is going to be awesome."

*****

It was.  
They started down the left path and went into every ride they saw.  
The queues were horribly long, but somehow they still got into the rides rather quickly.

Since all of them wanted to sit next to Nico, they had to play Rock Paper Scissor to determine who'd get to do it first.  
It was Will's lucky day. After that, it would be Jason's turn and lastly Percy's.  
He'd have expected him to complain, but he only shrugged and let them have their fun.

They decided to first go for every ride (except those for really small kids, though they did try out some sort of train for kids just to do something utterly stupid once) and then redo the ones they really liked so that Nico would be doing the good ones with every one of them.

Nico took tons of pictures and they purchased every single one from the rides that had them on it, no matter how stupid they looked.  
They ate cotton candy (which completely freaked out Nico at first, but he did kinda like it, even though it was pretty sweet) and chocolate fruit and nuts and gods knew what, Nico forgot most things right after trying them, though he took pictures of it all as well.  
They did some of the stuff at the stands, including a sort of dart-game that Will beat easily, getting Nico a plush teddy to his embarrassment – though he still took it nevertheless.

That made Jason and Percy throw Will glares and run off to the other stands around.

Nico inwardly hoped they wouldn't get lost.  
Will laughed loudly, wrapping his arm around Nico casually and waiting with him as the other two disappeared into the crowd.

"They really like you, Neeks.", he stated, looking around for a sign of them.

Nico sighed. "I know. I just wish they would have stayed with us. I don't want to lose them here."

Will chuckled. "Don't worry, they'll get back any moment. Let's see what they win for you."

"But I don't really need anything. They should rather win something for themselves."

Will looked around at him bemused. "You're so clueless."

"Percy says that all the time. What do you all mean by that, anyways?", Nico pouted, looking away.

Will chuckled. "Someday, you will understand.", he said wisely and Nico shoved him slightly, though they stayed close together.

Percy and Jason came back a few minutes later, holding out their wins to him.  
He had to summon all his self-control not to laugh.  
Jason had gotten him some sort of plush eagle and Percy was holding out a whole bouquet of plastic roses.

It was pretty endearing, really.

Though it also made him blush and pull them on hurriedly so they could do the next rides.

Rollercoasters felt extremely weird. It reminded him a bit of shadow-traveling, but was luckily a bit safer. But not by much.

*****

Then they got to the water-part of the park.

He thought Percy was going to freak out. He kind of did, but at least not as badly as Nico anticipated.  
Needless to say, the whole order of who was allowed to go first was thrown into the wind and Percy grabbed him by the arm and off they were, leaving the others to hurry after them.  
It was awesome, really, though there were quite a few times Nico feared for his life, especially since Percy was enhancing their rides to make it 'more interesting'.

Somehow, 'more interesting' seemed to resemble 'as dangerous as possible'.

But Nico knew Percy would never overdo it…on purpose.

Luckily, most of the rides they could do together as a whole group instead of pairs, else it probably would have led to quite some fighting since Percy was completely taking him for himself.  
Not that Nico minded much. But he did want to be with his other friends too, after all.  
Percy did his best to make every ride they were on the fastest, wettest and most dangerous experience as possible, even freaking out Jason and Will.

Which ironically made Nico laugh, causing Percy to continue.  
But in the end, they all had tons of fun and Nico got a lot of good pictures by the look of it.

"Let's do the Ferris Wheel, too.", Jason said, pointing to it.

Percy made a face, looking up at the sky. Rollercoasters were one thing, where you were with a lot of people and rushed through the air at top speed.  
Ferris Wheels on the other hand went slow and you were in the air for quite a while.

Nico pinched him in the side. "Hey, what's with that face? We've got Jason with us, after all. Nothing's going to happen."

Jason practically beamed at him, though he wasn't sure why, while Percy just smiled pained and nodded, letting Nico pull him towards the Wheel.  
They managed to get into one compartment together without anybody else, because all the people came in bigger groups. None of them minded though.  
As they rose, Nico admitted even he felt weird, watching the ground getting further and further away. But he didn't let it show.

Will and Jason didn't have any problems whatsoever, standing at the glass and looking down and at the sight of the amusement park spreading out beneath them.

"Want me to take some pictures?", Will offered as Nico sat down, feeling a bit dizzy. He gave him the camera and smiled, showing him he was ok.

Percy was sitting next to him, clutching the side and pale in the face. He wasn't ok.

"Are you ok?", he still asked, though he knew it was lame.

Percy looked around at him, trying for a pained smile. "I'm great."

Nico raised an eyebrow.

Percy chuckled quietly. "I'm not afraid of heights or anything, Neeks. It just feels weird right now. Don't you think we're shaking around a bit too much?"

Nico concentrated on the shakiness of the compartment. It wasn't really doing anything out of the ordinary, as far as Nico could tell.

He put his hand on Percy's thigh. "Don't worry. If we fall, I'll make sure you get a nice spot in the Underworld."

That got a laugh out of the dark-haired hero.

"Are you enjoying your day so far?", Percy asked him quietly after a while.

Nico smiled. "Yeah, I love it. I'm so going to get all those pictures printed. At this rate, I'll have to buy a new photo album and dedicate the whole thing to this visit. I know I'd have enough pictures."

Percy smiled at him. "That sounds cool. Make sure to show it to me sometime when you're done."

Nico grinned. "Of course."

Then the compartment stopped with a jerk as they reached the highest point.  
Percy instinctively grabbed Nico's hand.  
Nico looked around to Will and Jason who were still looking out over the park.

He glanced back at Percy. Then he placed a quick kiss on his forehead. "Don't worry. Everything is ok."

Percy looked at him, stunned. Then he smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Nico. Now get over to the others, else you'll be missing the best part of this...madness."

Nico reluctantly got up and let go of Percy's hand, moving over to the others while glancing back at Percy.  
Will looked back as well and clapped Nico on the shoulder, passing the camera back to him and sitting down opposite of Percy, though being kind enough not to make fun of him.  
Nico stood next to Jason, looking at the sight before him.

"Wow…", he muttered, amazed.

Jason grinned at him. "The height not bothering you?"

"Maybe a bit…", he admitted, looking down. They were so far up...

Jason smiled. "Understandable. But the view is great, isn't it?"

Nico saw the whole park from where they were right now, as well as the surrounding area. It truly looked stunning.

"Want me to take a picture of you?", Jason asked, pointing at Nico's camera.

Nico hesitated. "I don't really need..." "Yes you do.", Jason interrupted him sternly and took the camera from him, stepping back.

"Smile."

Nico was never good at smiling when asked to. Jason soon found that out as well, which is why he called over Percy and Will.  
Percy actually came as well, though he looked slightly sick. He wrapped his arms around Nico and put his chin on Nico's head as if that would keep him safe.

Nico didn't really mind.

So while Percy was hanging onto him, Will took over his arm, clutching onto him and glaring at Percy as if he was jealous. Nico only rolled his eyes to that.  
Jason chuckled and took some more pictures of them with the view behind them, then even got a snapshot of Nico laughing.  
Then Percy took over the camera, glad to get away from the side.  
All in all, they got some really beautiful shots.

After the Ferris Wheel, they went to redo the rides they liked most.

By the time they were done with everything they deemed interesting (which was to say: everything), it was already almost closing time.  
So they decided to take a few more pictures together and grab some actual food to eat, though Percy bought him a bag of funny looking candy with his last change as well.

"Percy, you should really save your money...", Nico muttered, though he was quite flattered.

Percy only winked at him. "Nah, it's a thanks for the thing in the Ferris Wheel."

Nico blushed slightly, but took the candy nevertheless.  
Back in the car, Nico noticed how he was slowly dozing off while they were driving back to Camp.

He tried to keep himself awake, talking to the others and all. Yet, he still fell asleep, slumping against Percy slightly, who only chuckled and wrapped his arm around him.

It had been a rather tiring day after all.

*****

He woke up a long time later, wondering how Jules-Albert was making the car move so oddly, just to realize he wasn't in the car anymore. He was being carried.  
Luckily not princess-style or anything, but piggyback.  
He shivered against the cold and looked sideways at the person's face next to his own with half-closed eyes.

"Percy?"

Percy looked around and grinned. "Hey, you're awake. We're almost at your cabin, so no worries."

Nico frowned. "Why didn't you guys wake me? You didn't have to carry me."

Percy shrugged, which made Nico instinctively wrap his arms around his neck.

"Oops, sorry. Nah, you looked so peaceful we decided to carry you back to the cabin. We played Rock Paper Scissors to who gets to do it. I won."

Nico chuckled quietly.  
That sounded just like the thing they would do.

"And I'd have guessed it would be the loser who has to do that."

Percy sighed exasperated. "One of these days you'll realize that you are a great person and that we all love you very much and would love to carry you to your cabin every day all day long."

Nico chuckled, drifting off into sleep.  
What was he doing? He should hop off his back and walk himself.  
Instead, he sighed against Percy's shoulder and felt his eyes falling shut again.

"It's been quite a day, huh?", he muttered barely audible.

Percy smiled at him. "Yeah. Looking forward to meet your admirer tonight again?"

Nico hesitated a moment. Then he smiled.

"Yeah."

Percy reached his door, but instead of putting him down, he grabbed the spare key Nico had put back in its original place beneath the pot and opened the door, holding Nico on top of him with one arm easily.  
Then he kicked open the door and brought him inside.

"You know I can walk, right?"

"Shush. You're practically sleeping already. Want me to undress you?"

Nico blushed.

"Ok, I think that came out wrong...", Percy said sheepishly, a slight blush on his cheeks.

He let Nico down next to his bed.

"Nah, I know you don't mean it that way. But thanks, anyways. I'll be fine."

Percy smiled at him. "Ok, then...good night, Nico."

Nico flopped down on the bed, taking off his shoes and jacket.

"Good night, Percy.", he said quietly, grinning up at him.

Percy lingered for a moment longer, then walked over to the door.  
There, he turned around once more, gazing at Nico. Nico had no idea what that expression stood for.  
Then he smiled and waved, closing the door behind him. Nico could hear him halting outside the door for a moment, then hurry off.

He dropped backwards onto his bed, taking off his clothes and just crawling beneath his blankets.

With his double blankets, he highly doubted he'd catch a cold even if he just slept in his boxer shorts.

The moment he hit the pillow and grabbed Mrs. O'Leary Jr., he was already fast asleep.


	23. Day 22: 22nd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I don't want to go!  
> I also want to tell you so badly how I love you, want to hold you even after you're awake and kiss you and make out with you.  
> I so hope you'll accept my feelings.  
> I hope you like today's gift.  
> It's a bit different, but it got a big meaning to it that I don't want you to forget.  
> I love you, Nico!  
> ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: I really don't want to go!'

**Day 22: Monday**

"Gods, Nico, you're going to be the death of me.", he heard the voice say and chuckled.

"I am death.", he muttered quietly, turning towards the voice.

"Nah, you're the Ghost King.", the person replied and fixed the blankets on Nico, slipping into the bed as well while he was at it.

Nico snuggled against him. It had something familiar to it. But he couldn't pinpoint it.  
He wrapped his arms around the person, entangling their legs.  
Somehow, he was either feeling more daring and open when he was in this half-asleep-half-awake-state, or he simply trusted his admirer not to push him away for getting so close.  
Then again, his admirer had started it.

He heard a chuckle against his ear. "I love you, Nico."

Nico almost replied 'I love you too'.  
But he stopped himself at the last moment.

It had come so naturally. But could he truly love somebody he didn't even really know?  
Could he love somebody just because of some notes and a few nights together?

He didn't know.

He snuggled against the person. "Hey...", he muttered, since he didn't know the name.

"Hm?"

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The thing with the envelope...yesterday...", Nico whispered, though he was already drifting back off into sleep.

"I woke up when I usually come to you. Then I made sure you're all asleep and left."

"I really wonder who you are...you can't be...can't be Percy...can't be Jason...can't be Will...I don't understand..."

The person chuckled and kissed him on the side of his face again.

"I'm one of them, alright. You'll see."

"Tease."

"Says the one in his boxer shorts."

"Kiss me."

There was silence.

Then he felt soft lips on his for the fraction of a second. "Like this?", he asked, pulling away again.

Nico's hands shot up, trying to hold him there, tugging on his shirt.  
He felt the lips pressing onto his again, this time longer and a bit more demanding.

"Like that?", he asked and Nico knew he was grinning as Nico tugged on his shirt again.

"Or more?"

"More..."

The person didn't chuckle. Instead, Nico felt his hand on his chin, moving his face further upwards and pushing his lips onto his.  
Nico huffed slightly into the kiss.  
It felt so good.  
The ones before already did, but this...

He felt himself inching closer, wrapping his arms around his admirer.  
The person pushed him slightly so he laid back on his back and Nico felt how his legs seemed to wrap themselves around the person by themselves.  
As he huffed once more, he felt his tongue slipping inside his mouth and moaned slightly at the feeling, meeting it with his own.  
The other person was breathing heavily now, rubbing his body against Nico's and letting one hand travel over his chest and stomach, tracing his muscles.

"Gods, Nico..."

Nico tilted his head slightly for a better angle.  
He never wanted this to stop.

"You do know we're making out right now and you're practically half asleep, right?", his admirer asked him, pulling back slightly, but Nico pulled him back down.

"I don't...want to...", Nico muttered into the kiss.

"Don't want to what? Make out?"

"Wake up..."

He heard him chuckle again and pull back.  
Nico almost whimpered.

"Don't worry, Nico. We've got time. I really shouldn't jump you like this when you aren't even awake."

"It's ok...I asked you to..."

"That you did."

"Shush...", Nico muttered, embarrassed and turned sideways again, clutching the person's shirt.

His admirer pulled him tightly against him, making Nico shift slightly as to not let him notice his lower body region.

But he only chuckled. "Don't even try."

Nico blushed and held still.

"I'm glad you are as affected as me. Would have been pretty awkward if not.", the voice said and Nico hesitated.

"Ok, we need to stop this now or I'll be waking up. I don't want you to leave.", Nico then muttered and turned his head towards the pillow, forcing himself back asleep.

The person chuckled and softly stroked through his hair.

"I love you so much, Nico. Please accept me on the 25th. But I want you to accept me because you like me, Nico. Not because I like you. Can you promise me that?"

Nico sighed quietly, slowly dozing off again. He wondered since when he could do that.

"Ok..."

He felt those lips on the side of his face again and smiled.

Then he fell back asleep.

*****

When he began waking again, he was in his arms again. Nico smiled to himself.  
How much he loved waking up in his arms.  
He snuggled closer, wishing he could stay like this forever.  
Instead, he sighed and went to squeeze his arm again.  
He heard another sigh and felt a kiss to the side of his face.

Then the person slowly disentangled himself from Nico and got up, scribbling something again.  
Nico smiled and turned around as usual. He didn't want to risk peeking.

He had almost made it, after all.  
The person got up, softly stroking the side of his neck.  
Then he left.

When the door fell shut behind him, Nico turned onto his back and opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling.  
Then he smiled to himself happily.

Soon, very soon, he'd find out.

Anticipation and anxiety welled up inside him.  
He turned sideways and looked at the time.

It was 7:30am in the morning. That was a surprise. Usually, he woke up around 6am.

He remembered Jason telling him he'd pick him up later, since they were going to do something till late at night and he wanted him to get enough sleep.  
Nico chuckled to himself and prodded himself up on his elbows, looking at the note and gift.

Seriously, the shape of his gifts looked weirder and weirder.

He stretched his arms out to pick up the note.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I don't want to go!_

_I also want to tell you so badly how I love you, want to hold you even after you're awake and kiss you and make out with you._

_I so hope you'll accept my feelings._

_I hope you like today's gift._

_It's a bit different, but it got a big meaning to it that I don't want you to forget._

_I love you, Nico!_

_ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!_

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: I really don't want to go!]_

Nico sighed. "I wish you didn't have to go, either.", he muttered into the empty room, then looked at the oddly shaped package.  
He couldn't even say what shape it had, really.

It seemed somewhat round-ish, but not oval, not round and not angular either, with a rounded top to it.  
He shrugged and picked it up carefully.

It was rather light.

Delicate.

He slowly turned it in his hands, inspecting it from all sides.  
Then he shrugged and began opening it.

It was some sort of glass container, completely see-through.  
On the bottom was a blue padding that seemed to shimmer.

But Nico wasn't looking at the padding.

He was looking at the flower inside.

It looked like a real flower.

For all he knew, it probably was.

It wasn't a rose or anything like that, but a small, delicate flower, with green stalk and one tiny little leaf – and one bud.  
It bloomed pure white, with six rather thin petals to it and a small yellow dot in the middle – the only part of it that wasn't completely white.  
It seemed to either be fixed in the glass or floating in it.

Nico had never seen something more beautiful.  
He gently turned it over, afraid to break it.

On the back, there was an engraving.

_(Star of Bethlehem Flower_

_Never lose hope_

_You never know what tomorrow will bring)_

Nico smiled softly.

Hope.

He turned the glass case around again and gazed at the delicate flower.  
That meaning really fit it well.

Nico got up, holding the flower tight to his chest. Where would he put it? He didn't want to put it on his bedside table. It belonged somewhere where the light could get to it.

He looked over to his window next to the door.

Yes, there.

Nico walked over swiftly, once again glad for his jar with fire. Then he cleaned off the window sill quickly and placed the flower there.  
It already looked stunning in the dark.  
He wondered how it would look when the sun was out.

Nico smiled at it fondly, then went to take a shower.  
There was no way he could fall asleep anymore after all. He'd probably spend the next hours until Jason came with gazing at this flower.

Hope.

That truly was something nobody should ever forget.

*****

Jason picked him up shortly past 10am.  
By then, Nico had done so many things, it was truly admirable.

He had:  
-taken a shower  
-dried his hair  
-put his hair into a ponytail  
-gotten dressed  
-flopped into bed  
-gotten up again  
-sat down next to his window sill  
-stared at the flower mesmerized  
-stayed like that until Jason had come to get him

So, yeah, he had been very busy.

But Jason had taken one look at the flower and fallen for it as well.  
Nico had even permitted him to touch the glass and turn it over to read the message.  
Jason had been more than impressed.

So, then, they had both spent several minutes just staring at the flower, before Jason had decided to take him to breakfast due to his stomach rumbling loudly.  
They made their way through the Camp at a slow pace, not in any rush, which was just fine by Nico.  
After all that action yesterday, he was glad they didn't continue on the action right now.

Inwardly, he hoped to spend a calm day with Jason. Though, of course, he didn't say that out loud. He didn't want to upset him after all in case he had other plans.  
They sat down at Jason's table and Nico for once was able to eat by himself, not getting fed by Jason, though he did let him have a bite of his own breakfast.

And half of his brownie, of course.  
That seemed like half a ritual by now.

They talked about the amusement park and rides they enjoyed most and all that kind of stuff, simple, rather meaningless, but good stuff that made them smile and laugh.  
Nico always relaxed most with Jason. He was a great guy to hang around with.

"And then you fell asleep in the car. It was so adorable."

Nico blushed. "Don't remind me of that. Percy had to carry me all the way to my cabin."

"Yeah, he won. I wanted to win so badly that I lost in the first round. So then I was glad it was Percy who won and not Will."

Nico blinked and looked sideways. "You all could have just woken me up, too, you know...", he muttered quietly.

Jason chuckled. "Nah, we all agreed to let you sleep. You had a rough day after all. That's also why we're having a nice calm day together today. Ready to go?", he asked and got up, holding out his hand to Nico.

Nico glanced at it for a moment. Was he indicating that he wanted to hold hands with Nico?  
He looked back up into Jason's sky-blue eyes.  
Then he smiled and took the hand, letting him lead him out of the dining pavilion.

Most of the campers were either at the Camp Fire, on the frozen lake or in the Arena, so it was quite quiet on the rest of the Camp grounds. Jason had taken Nico's hand and put it into his jacket pocket with his own, keeping it warm.  
They strolled around the grounds together, just chatting and laughing, watching a few other Campers build snowmen or having snowball fights.  
Then they walked around the lake, far enough away not to be bothered by anybody, but close enough to see them playing on the ice.

"I'd like to always be with you like this, Nico.", Jason said after a while as they stood next to each other, gazing out onto the frozen lake from between the trees, watching a few Hermes kids making trouble again.

"Yeah, it's great having you around. I'm really going to miss you when you're on your travels again."

Jason looked around at him sorrowful for a moment. "I wish I could stay longer, Nico. I really do."

But Nico waved off. "It's ok, Jason. I know you have a lot to do, after all. And a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. I wouldn't know any other person in the world who could do what you're doing. You made promises, important promises, and you'll do anything to keep them. I know it. I just wish I could somehow help you fulfill them."

Jason looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Then he smiled.

"That's very nice of you, Nico. I really appreciate it. But I'll be fine. I'll work hard to fulfill my promises and turn everything for the better. And who knows, when all of that is done, I could return here and we can...I don't know...hang out together again like now."

Nico grinned. "That would be great."

Jason smiled at him, but Nico noticed there was this something in his eyes he couldn't identify.  
They heard loud yelling and turned towards the lake again, seeing Lou Ellen chase after a couple of Hermes kids, trying to use her magic to get them.

Nico shivered slightly. "Are you cold?", Jason asked instantly, coming closer and wrapping his arms around him slightly.

Nico looked around surprised, but then smiled. "Maybe a bit."

Jason chuckled quietly and took his hand again, putting it back in his jacket pocket and they continued walking to keep him warm.  
Jason really was the most considerate person Nico had ever met.  
When Jason had made the decision to travel between Camps and settle the matter with the minor gods, gods, Camp rules and whatnot, Nico had often found himself thinking he could go with him. Accompany him on his travels.

Jason must be lonely. Of course, he never really went alone, but Nico always wondered whether Jason might not like his company a tiny bit more.  
Not that he was saying he was better company than others.  
He just thought it would have been a nice idea…

But since Jason never really mentioned anything and Nico didn't wish to push himself onto him, he hadn't offered it.  
And now…now he had a home at Camp Half-Blood after all.

He had friends, he had a halfway decent looking cabin, he had a potential boyfriend…  
But what if Jason was his admirer?  
Would Nico have to leave all this behind? Would he do it?  
He looked around at Jason, watching him from the side.

He seemed rather content, a smile on his face and it looked almost as if he'd start humming now. It looked pretty adorable, really.  
He knew Jason couldn't possibly be his admirer. But then again, he knew none of them could be, which meant any of them could be the one.

So he wanted to picture them together just once.

It would certainly be nice.  
Jason's kind nature would make for close to no fighting and he would never pressure Nico or push him to do anything.  
Thus, he'd let Nico decide for himself whether to stay at Camp and be with Jason whenever he came here; or go with him wherever he'd go.  
Nico sighed. Maybe he shouldn't picture this after all.

"You ok?", Jason asked him, looking at him worriedly. Nico smiled at him. "Yeah, absolutely fine. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

Jason raised an eyebrow, but didn't question him.

Which was good, because Nico didn't really want to say 'I was thinking how a future for the two of us would look'.

That would probably just freak Jason out.

*****

After rounding the lake, Jason decided to take him to his cabin to warm up, starting a fire in the open fireplace (he was getting pretty good at that) and letting Nico pick a game of his choice.  
Yup, after the tiring day yesterday, Jason had decided to go easy, playing video games and pampering Nico with snacks, brownies, drinks and whatnot, even offering to MAKE him lunch.  
Nico had been both flattered and horrified at the mere notion of Jason actually being willing to bother cooking for him – but he had refused nevertheless due to the unnecessary work and all.

So now, here they were, playing Zelda and Mario Kart and Pokémon, laughing and chatting and beating each other (Jason had actually managed to beat him twice in the 20+ games they've played so far) and laughing even more.

It was actually a really great way to spend the day.  
He loved every moment of it, lying on his back on Jason's bed, his head hanging upside down from it, controller in his hand while Jason sat next to him on the ground, trying frantically to beat him.

"No! I almost had you there!", Jason wailed, looking around at Nico devastated, who grinned victoriously. "Yeah, but only almost, superman."

They chuckled and Nico noticed off-handedly how close their faces were if they both turned towards each other.  
It didn't help that his eyes drifted off to Jason's lips and that stapler scar.  
But he wasn't going to make this awkward.  
So, instead, he adjusted Jason's glasses again.

Jason shook his head, smirking. "You always do that. Does it really look that bad?"

"Nah, but they keep sliding down and I just get this urge to…fix it?"

"You sound like Leo. Or Fix-it-Felix from that one film."

"Hey, that film was awesome. Ralph was this complete outsider and nobody wanted him around but in the end he had friends and all. That was really, really nice."

"Yeah, you also almost died when it looked as if Ralph was going to snuff it."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did. You half jumped out of bed and went all 'Oh no! Somebody save him! He can't die like this!'.", Jason imitated, throwing his arms up in the air and looking around in mock terror.

Nico blushed and pushed out his bottom lip. "Not funny. I was maybe a tiny bit…unnerved."

Jason chuckled and looked around at him with a raised eyebrow.

"A tiny bit unnerved? Devastated is more like it."

"Shush."

"Aw, don't take it to heart. We all cried when we watched Ice Age while you just sat there munching chips."

"That was different. I couldn't identify with a Saber Tooth after all. But with Ralph, I simply could."

"Because you think you are unwanted and nobody likes you?"

"I thought that. Now I have friends, don't I?"

Jason looked around at him with a gentle smile. "Yeah, you do. And we all love you very much."

Nico blushed.  
A simply 'we like you' would have been fine by him as well.  
He looked away, back to the game.

"Wait! That's SO unfair! You distracted me so you can race off without me!"

Jason grinned evilly. "Sorry, but all is fair in love and war."

"You cheater!", Nico called, laughing and let his kart race after Jason's, wondering absent-mindedly to which category this belonged.

Nico still won, much to the devastation of Jason, who now seriously doubted his ability to play.  
Nico patted his head understandingly, though with a sardonic grin on his face.

Jason eyed him warily from the side. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?", he asked drily and Nico chuckled. "Maybe?"

Jason rolled his eyes, though he smiled, so it was ok.

*****

Hours later, they were both lying in bed, their heads upside down, still playing.  
If anybody thought playing video games all day was boring, they weren't playing the right games, and they weren't playing with Jason Grace.  
He made every game fun, mainly because he sucked at it, which didn't keep him from trying.  
Though Nico admitted he improved slowly, now really almost beating him.

Nico even let him beat him a couple times to boost his self-esteem.

He was rewarded with the most dazzling smiles ever, so it was well worth it.

"Gods, Nico, why do you have to be so damn good at these games? I swear I'm gonna go to Leo and make him program me a game at which you're going to suck."

Nico chuckled. "You do that. Bet I'd still beat you, though."

"Meanie.", Jason complained and wrapped his arms around Nico from the side, pouting against his shoulder.

"Aw, it's ok, Jason. Nobody is perfect. Therefore you can fly and control storm spirits and let lightning bolts strike wherever you want."

"Fair point." Jason placed his face in Nico's crook of the neck. Nico let him do it.

Was it his imagination or did he allow his friends a lot closer ever since he had his secret admirer?

"You don't squirm away anymore.", Jason muttered against his neck.

So it wasn't his imagination. "I guess so."

"Why's that? Because of your admirer?"

"I don't know. Could be. Or maybe it's simply because I know you don't mean it that way…", Nico shrugged and felt Jason shift, propping himself up on his elbows and gazing at Nico. "Nico…I wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you kiss me as Dare."

Nico blinked. "What? Oh, that. It's ok, really."

"No, it's not. That is not how I wanted our kiss to be."

Nico's face flushed. Wait, what?  
He sat up, trying to collect himself.

"Ah…erm…sorry?", he stammered, blinking.

But Jason shook his head. "I didn't say I didn't like it. It's just that I wanted you to actually kiss me because you want to, not because you have to."

There was silence for a moment.  
Nico was still trying to collect his thoughts.  
Did this mean Jason actually wanted to kiss him?  
What was he supposed to do now?

"But I admit I panicked. I caught myself thinking 'Wait, why am I the only one he didn't kiss?' and I admit I was a bit upset. So I at least wanted to…do it just once…"

Nico's blush deepened.  
Did Jason have to remind him that he had kissed both Percy and Will on their dates?  
Blah, it hadn't been a DATE!

"I…I…"

"Sorry, I must be freaking you out, right? Just forget I said anything…"

"No, it's ok…I'm just…surprised. I…I'm sorry…"

He wasn't exactly sure what he was saying sorry for.  
Sorry for kissing the other two?  
Sorry for being like this now?  
Sorry for not finding the right words?

Jason got closer.

Nico could feel himself inching back ever so slightly.  
What if Jason wanted to kiss him now? Would Nico do it?

"I thought you were straight.", Nico blurted.

Oh wow. Of all the things in the world he could have said, it was this?  
Well, at least it wasn't anything even more stupid like 'I think hellhound puppies are cute'.

Jason blinked. Then he chuckled. "Gods, Nico. You're so clueless."

Nico made a face. "Why does everybody tell me that?!", he asked, feeling the irritation wash over him.

Jason grinned and for a moment, Nico thought he was going to say more, or at least lean closer a bit more and kiss him.  
Jason didn't do either.  
Instead, he hopped off the bed and checked the time.

"Let's go, then, Neeks.", he said cheerily, rubbing his hands together.

Nico blinked. "Go where?"

Jason's eyes blazed with glee. "You'll see.", he then said and went to collect a few things.

Nico got dressed and looked outside.  
It was getting dark. What did Jason want to do?

He waited at the front door, but when Jason came over he shook his head. "This way.", he pointed to the statue of Zeus.

Ah.

Nico understood.  
He looked at Jason with his best 'Really?'-face.

Jason grinned sheepishly. "I hope you'll like it."

*****

He did.

They stood up there on the roof, gazing at the stars above them.

"This is amazing…", Nico muttered, awed.

Jason chuckled. "I'm glad you think so."

He wrapped his arms around Nico from behind.  
Given their talk, Nico stiffened slightly, but he didn't squirm away, though he didn't lean back against him either.

"I've been wanting to take you here for quite some time now.", Jason muttered after a while, his chin on Nico's head, both of them watching the stars shining like diamonds in the night sky.

It sure was a beautiful sight.

"You could have.", Nico replied, slowly relaxing against him.

"No, I wanted to show this to you alone. Not with the others."

"Why?"

"Because I lo-…" Jason broke off, looking hesitant. "Because it's something I thought would be nice for us to do by ourselves. Is that bad? Would you have liked the others to come?"

He sounded so…uncertain.

Nico shook his head slightly. "No, this is great. Percy wouldn't like it up here anyways and Will is more of a day person, isn't he?"

Jason sighed. "I suppose so." He sounded a bit disappointed.

"And I do like to spend time with you alone, you know.", Nico added, his eyes fixed on the stars.

"So you liked today? I mean…it certainly wasn't as nice as a picnic or action-packed like what Percy did with you…"

"It was a great day, Jason. I have to admit I'm kind of glad we didn't do that many things or stayed outside the whole time. I mean, we did have quite an active day yesterday. It felt good to just…relax, you know? Then again, with you I can always relax the easiest, can't I?"

Jason stiffened slightly and moved his head, looking down at him though Nico wasn't sure how much he could see other than his dark hair.

"Really?"

"Of course."

"But you fell asleep on Will's lap."

Nico blushed and pulled out of Jason's arms. "It was cold and he was warm and it was all quiet!", he defended himself, red in the face and looked around defiantly.

"You also kissed him."

Nico blushed harder. "I…that…erm…"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You do know I saw you rush out of the forest, right? It was me who held Percy back from storming after Will."

Nico froze. What?

"H-How…", he started, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to ask.

Jason crossed his arms. "Well, we did intend to follow you two, just to check what he was up to. So we hid out in a few places together until we lost sight of you in the forest."

That was probably the reason why Will had led him through the forest so oddly. Trust Will to think they'd follow them.

"So we waited a bit further away. It was already difficult enough to keep Percy calm. He was pretty restless. Though, I could understand, given that Will has been pushing himself onto you several times the past months. But when you came rushing out the forest and raced off to your cabin as if your life depended on it, we seriously thought he had tried to rape you or something."

"N-No! It wasn't anything like that…"

"Well, you didn't tell us, did you? Percy was pretty peeved about that. And I admit, I was a bit upset as well. We're your friends, after all. If something happens, we'd like to know about it. We care about you, you know?"

Nico fidgeted. "I'm sorry…it was a bit…confusing. And I didn't really want you to know…"

Jason sighed and put his hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to have a go at you, Nico. I'm sorry. I guess I was just a bit jealous."

"J-Jealous?", Nico squeaked, staring up at him in disbelief.

Jason chuckled. "I swear, you're so clueless…", he muttered quietly, gazing at him intently.

Nico made a face. "Why? How?", he asked indignantly.

Jason had this weird expression on his face. It looked almost wanting.  
Nico could feel his hands on the sides of his face.  
The next moment, Jason leaned forward and sealed their lips.

Nico's eyes widened in surprise.

What?

He found himself kissing back before he could even form a clear thought.

It felt completely different from their Dare.  
It was soft, cautious and uncertain, as if Jason was worried Nico might push him away.

Guilt gnawed at him.  
He SHOULD push him back.  
But he couldn't make himself do it.  
His hands clutched Jason's jacket, holding him there instead of pushing him away.

What was he doing…?  
Then again, Jason did say he wanted this.  
But did Nico want this?  
Yes…no…yes…what…?

Jason seemed practically drunk with emotion, breathing heavily and trembling slightly, pushing against him further, sucking on his bottom lip.  
Nico parted his lips slightly, huffing.

But then he thought of his admirer and halted.

He shouldn't do this.  
What would his admirer think?  
Nico gently pushed against Jason, trying not to hurt his feelings.

"S-stop…", he muttered and Jason pulled back, looking down at him with dazed blue eyes.

"I…can't…", Nico began, trying to explain. Jason's shoulders sagged.

He put on a pained smile. "Your admirer?"

Nico hesitated for a moment, then he nodded slightly. "I'm sorry…", he whispered barely audible.

Jason took a deep breath. "You…really like him, don't you?"

Nico nodded again. "I don't know who it is, but…but I really…I'm…"

"Serious about him?"

He nodded.

Jason sighed. "That's great, Neeks. And thanks, anyways. Who knows, in the end it's me.", he winked and Nico chuckled slightly, though he wasn't really feeling like it.

"I doubt that. Though I wouldn't mind…"

Jason blinked surprised for a moment.  
Then he smiled. It was a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Nico."

"Whatever for?", Nico asked, frowning.

Jason chuckled. "For being you."

Then he placed a kiss on his forehead. Nico felt himself blush slightly, but didn't stop him.

"So, you want to stay and watch the stars a while longer? I swear I won't jump you or anything."

Nico chuckled. "Sure. And I know you won't. You wouldn't do that."

"Don't challenge me.", Jason replied, throwing him a suggestive glance.

Then they both laughed.  
Even though Nico still felt a bit weird on the inside, he pushed it aside, instead watching Jason spreading out a blanket on the cold ground and gesturing for him to come over while he pulled out another big and rather warm looking blanket to wrap around them.  
Nico obliged and sat down, feeling Jason sit down behind him.

He threw him his best 'Really'-face, knowing he was doing this because Nico had been like this with Will after all.  
Jason grinned sheepishly and wrapped his arms as well as the blanket around him.

"Don't let me fall asleep, ok?", Nico muttered, leaning back against him.

"Wouldn't dream of it.", Jason replied chuckling.

They gazed up at the stars and Jason began pointing out some constellations he knew.

It sure was a beautiful sight.


	24. Day 23: 23rd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> I love you!  
> You must have been pretty tired, because you didn't even wake up at all tonight.  
> Hope you didn't mind that I stayed anyways.  
> I hope you liked the flower. Never forget its meaning, Nico.  
> Hope we'll get to Camp Jupiter safe.  
> See you later.  
> And Nico: I love you!  
> I love you,  
> Your secret admirer  
> P.s.: I want to kiss you. Badly.  
> P.P.S.: ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT!'

**Day 23: Tuesday**

Nico woke up with arms tightly wrapped around him, a face pressed against the side of his neck.  
He chuckled, keeping his eyes closed and freeing his arms from the embrace to squeeze the arm of his admirer gently.  
He heard a deep sigh.  
Nico chuckled again, feeling hair tickle the skin at his neck.  
Soft lips followed suite.

Nico smiled broadly to himself.

His admirer must have seen, because he heard an indignant huff and another kiss to the side of his neck, followed by some more.

"Yes, yes, I get it. Shoo with you before I peek.", he laughed and pulled the pillow over his head.

He felt the body leaving his bed and heard the usual scribbling.  
But this time it took a bit longer and he felt a hand touching his gently, taking it and placing a piece of paper on the inside.  
Then the hand retreated and he heard his admirer hurrying out his cabin.

He lifted the pillow, looking at the paper in his hand.

_'I love you'_

Nico chuckled.

"Yeah, I love you too.", he muttered to himself, looking around to his bedside table.

On it was the note and a cellophane bag of candy. So, Tuesday's really were the candy days, huh?  
With a jolt, he realized this was the last Tuesday before Christmas. Only two days left!

He sat up, checking the time while picking up the bag to inspect it.

It was 6:45 am. Oh great, he'd have to hurry up then. They wanted to leave for Camp Jupiter at 8:00 am and he had intended to take a shower and pack.  
Yeah, somehow he hadn't gotten around doing that yet.

Blah.

He looked at the content of the cellophane bag.  
Someone must have paid really close attention to what Nico had eaten the past times.  
Because the bag contained all his favorites from the other packs.

He put the bag down on the bedside table again and picked up the card.

_[Dear Nico,_

_I love you!_

_You must have been pretty tired, because you didn't even wake up at all tonight._

_Hope you didn't mind that I stayed anyways._

_I hope you liked the flower. Never forget its meaning, Nico._

_Hope we'll get to Camp Jupiter safe._

_See you later._

_And Nico: I love you!_

_I love you,_

_Your secret admirer_

_P.s.: I want to kiss you. Badly._

_P.P.S.: ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT!]_

Nico chuckled and put the card to the others, collecting them all and putting them in the envelope he had gotten on the first day.

He'd definitely take these with him.

*****

"Wait! I think I forgot something.", Nico called and they had to stop – again.

Percy turned around, laughing. "Seriously? You said that three times now. What is it this time? Your camera, your Christmas gifts-…"

"The gifts!", Nico yelped and hurried back inside. How could he have forgotten?!

The others looked stunned for a moment. Then they all laughed.

Nico looked sourly around at them and slammed the door shut in their faces, hushing about his room. He had clothes, his jar of fire, the flower (because he didn't want to leave it here alone with the Stoll kids around), his candy, his Mrs. O'Leary plushie, his Christmas blanket, his camera, the photo album, his laptop...was it just him or were most the things he owned things he had gotten from his admirer?

He decided not to ponder on that as he pulled out the gifts from their hiding place beneath his bed and put them in a bag carefully.  
Then he put the bag into a bag and that one into a bag as well, each bag closed completely.  
With the boys, one could never be too cautious.

When he came back out, the others eyed him bemused. "Got everything now?", Jason asked, grinning.

"Shush. I just want to make sure I got everything."

They only chuckled and left for Thalia's pine to leave the Camp. The smell of breakfast wafted over to Nico, whose stomach immediately rumbled.  
The others looked around at him with their best 'Are you serious?'-faces. He pointedly looked somewhere else and marched on.

"Are you sure you don't want to at least pick something up? Who knows when we'll be able to stop for something to eat?", Percy asked, walking next to him and looking around at him worriedly.

Nico shrugged. "I'll be fine. We got to get on our way."

He noticed how Percy, Will and Jason exchanged meaningful glances. Nico ignored them and hurried up the hill, then down the other side towards where his zombie chauffeur was waiting for them.  
When he got there, however, he noticed they were missing one person.

"Where's Will?", he asked frowning and looked around. Percy and Jason opened the trunk of the cab and put their stuff inside. "He's getting you something to eat, Neeks."

"What? I said I'm fine." His stomach rumbled otherwise. They chuckled and took his stuff, though he kept the bag with his Christmas blanket in a firm grip.

Percy raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything. Which was good, because else Nico would have probably murdered him on the spot.  
His blanket.  
The two grabbed him and put him on the backseat in the middle, with Jason to his left and Percy to his right.

Great.

Sadly, he had already agreed to this on Sunday, so there was nothing he could do.

Nico yawned.

Jason chuckled. "I kept you awake way too long yesterday, didn't I?"

"Maybe a bit. But it was fun."

"What did you two do?", Percy asked, glancing Nico up and down quickly.

Nico was about to reply, but Jason got there before him. "We had passionate sex on the roof of my cabin."

Nico choked on whatever he was going to say, while Percy looked at them horrified for a moment, speechless and gaping.

"Just joking. We were stargazing.", Jason laughed and patted Nico's back while he still coughed.

Percy groaned and put his hand in front of his face. "Dude, don't shock me like that. Gods, for a second I really thought…"

He looked around at Nico for a moment and Nico blushed. "I wouldn't do something like that with a friend!", he huffed indignantly.

Jason still chuckled. Percy sighed. "I know you wouldn't. You didn't let me make out with you, so why would you let Jason do it?"

That shut Jason up and made Nico blush a dark shade of red.

"That…you…I…", he stammered and racked his brain for the right words.

Then he scowled and hid his face in his hands.

"Just shush, both of you. I'm not making out with anyone except-…"

"Me!", Will called as he hopped onto the front seat and slammed the door shut behind him.

"No.", Nico glared.

"No?", Will asked, looking back at him.

"No.", Nico confirmed.

"Aw. And if I give you food?", Will asked, holding out some folded napkins with food.

Nico's stomach rumbled.

"…Maybe..."

Jason and Percy looked around at him, stunned.  
Nico took the food and noticed Will was looking rather surprised as well.

"…if you're my admirer, that is.", Nico finished the sentence and bit into his toast.

Will made a face and turned away again, crossing the arms in front of his chest.

"You'll see.", he only claimed and Nico smiled.

By now, Will was the one with the least arguments against being the admirer.  
But he still didn't think it was him.  
It simply didn't fit. Why would he go through so much trouble? And how would he know him so well?  
He knew Will had noticed him before Nico had even really acknowledged his existence, but still, how would he know so much about him?

Two days left.  
Only two days.  
Two more long days.  
Gods, how much he wished it was already the 25th.

He really wanted to know.

Though, at the same time, he was anxious to find out who it was  
He sighed deeply and found all three sets of eyes on him once more.

"You ok?", Jason asked.

He leaned back in his seat, staring at the road.  
Hey, they were moving already. He hadn't even noticed.  
Taking another bite off his second toast, he sighed again.

"No. I want to know who it is. It's infuriating."

"Who would you want it to be?", Jason asked quietly.

Nico made a face. "I am not going to say that."

"So you thought about it?", Percy asked, sitting up a bit.

"Of course I did. I dare you not to think about it when you get 23 gifts and love notes in a row."

Percy lifted his arms defensively, though he chuckled.

"So then, who do you think it is?", Will asked, curious.

"I won't tell.", Nico muttered, crossing his arms and huddling into his seat.

"Hey, but I didn't even ask who you'd WANT it to be, I asked who you THINK it'll be.", Will complained.

Nico sighed. "Why are we having this conversation, exactly?", he asked, though to none in particular and tried to look out the window, but Jason and Percy looked back at him from both sides.

Blah.

He wished he had a window seat.

*****

Of course, they got held up in one traffic jam after another.

Nico had pulled his legs up on the seat and his blanket wrapped around him, his back against Percy's side, who seemed to not care, staring out his window with half-closed eyes.  
Jason was looking outside as well, though rather curious, as if he enjoyed watching other people while not being able to be seen himself.  
Will on the other hand kept talking, telling different stories from the infirmary and other kids at Camp, even though nobody was really listening anymore.

Nico pulled out his candy from his bag and opened the bag, offering it to each one of them.

"So you got candy today? Is that, like, a Tuesday thing?", Percy asked, frowning.

Nico shrugged and popped one in his mouth. "Seems like it. Two days more and you can ask him why."

He made a face. "What tells you it's not me?"

"You hate writing. You are straight. You are-…you are impossible!", Nico yelped as Percy scowled and grabbed the piece of candy Nico was about to eat, just to pop it in his own mouth.

"And you are unbelievably dense.", Percy said annoyed and looked out of the window sourly.

Nico stared at him in disbelief. What the hell was wrong with him? He looked almost as if he was mad at Nico now.  
Nico looked around at Jason, who only looked from Percy to him and back, then shrugged.

"Percy, you ok?", the blonde asked tentatively after a while.

Percy sighed, but didn't look around. "Yeah…sorry, Nico. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Will looked around at him. "Yeah, I've noticed you look a bit pale today."

Nico glanced at him. He didn't look very different to him.

"Want my blanket?", he offered – which was a really special thing, because this was HIS blanket from HIS admirer, after all.

Percy looked around at him surprised for a moment. Then he looked away again. "Nah. I'm ok."

Nico rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket off himself, throwing it over Percy instead. "Sleep.", he ordered, crossing his arms and daring him to argue.

Percy sighed. "Nico, I…", he started, but then hesitated. Then he looked around at Nico once more.

For a moment, there was silence. "I would, but I can't sleep while sitting. Can I put my head on your lap?", he then asked, way too fast and enthusiastic to be authentic.

Nico raised an eyebrow.  
Really?

But Percy started doing his baby-seal-face again, so Nico just rolled his eyes and repositioned himself. "Fine. Go right ahead."

Percy looked rather surprised, though he then moved and adjusted instantly, pulling his legs up slightly and putting his head on Nico's lap, the blanket wrapped around him.

"You're…surprisingly comfortable.", Percy muttered, turning his head slightly to look at him.

Nico gazed down at those sea-green eyes…and promptly pushed Percy's face back sideways. "Go to sleep."

"Yes, Master.", Percy chuckled and Nico raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tempt me."

The other two laughed and shook their heads, looking back out of their windows.  
Nico noticed he could now finally gaze out of the window as well.

Sadly, he was now too occupied with feeling all those unimportant little details, like the way the heat seemed to radiate from Percy in waves, warming Nico's lap and sending shivers down his spine. Or the way it actually felt quite good having Percy on his lap.  
Or the way his hair felt beneath his fingertips…wait what?

Nico pulled his hand back. Treacherous hand. What the hell was it doing in Percy's hair?  
The dark-haired glanced up at him for a moment, blinking. Then he smiled slightly and closed his eyes again.  
Nico felt his hand twitch. Really?

He tentatively put it back onto Percy's head, stroking through his hair gently.  
Percy sighed with a smile on his face and looked rather content.  
Nico rolled his eyes and kept his hand there, of course not enjoying it whatsoever.

Ok, maybe a tiny little bit.

*****

When he awoke hours later, Nico wasn't very surprised to find himself half laying on Jasons lap with Percy laying between his legs, his head on Nico's chest.

Great.

He looked outside. It was beginning to get dark.

"How much longer?"

"We're almost there, Neeks.", Jason informed him, looking down at him fondly.

"Really?" He'd have liked to see for himself, but he didn't want to wake Percy.

Just the bit of shifting he had done now lead to Percy protectively wrapping his arms around Nico's midriff, putting one hand on Nico's butt unconsciously, much to his embarrassment.  
But the others didn't notice and he didn't want to squirm, glad that Percy was able to rest.

"Yeah, I'd say give and take an hour or two. Jules-Albert took all the shortcuts he could and neglected all the speed limits whenever the situation allowed it. I'm still surprised though. Usually, the trip takes at least two days, doesn't it?", Will told him and Nico smiled.

His chauffeur sure was awesome.

He looked up at Jason. "Thanks for letting me sleep on your lap."

Jason grinned down at him. "You're welcome. You fell asleep shortly after Percy did and then kept falling against me so I moved you slightly. Percy and you then adjusted by yourselves like that." He nodded towards Percy lying between his legs and Nico blushed slightly.

"Yeah, you two were completely knocked out. Seriously, that you'd be tired I understand because you were up stargazing with Jason and all, but Percy?"

Nico shrugged. "Maybe he's having nightmares again and couldn't sleep.", he guessed.

"Or he was trying to spy on you two and stayed up the whole night to wait for you to return to your cabin, Neeks.", Will suggested smirking.

"Ha-ha. Why would he do that?", Nico asked sourly and stoke through Percy's hair absent-mindedly.

He also noticed how Jason was doing the same thing with him.  
Nico shifted slightly, getting more comfortable.  
No wonder Percy had fallen asleep so fast. Jason's hand in his hair felt really nice.

He closed his eyes, sighing and wondered if he shouldn't just go back to sleep.

*****

He did.

When he woke up an hour later, they were roughly 30 minutes away from the entrance to Camp Jupiter.  
Nico looked down sleepily to check on Percy, just to notice he was wide awake, his arms folded on Nico's chest, his head resting on them and his gaze fixed on Nico.

"Hey there, sunshine.", he greeted cheerily.

Nico blinked. Sunshine? Him?  
He looked around at Will and Jason, but they were sound asleep in their seats.

Percy chuckled. "Yes, I mean you. Don't act so surprised.", he said, ruffling through Nico's hair, though not getting off him.

Nico made a face. "How am I sunshine? I'm the Ghost King. Know your place, servant.", he said and Percy laughed quietly.

Then he wrapped his arms around Nico's midriff again and pushed his face against Nico's chest.

"W-What are you doing…", Nico muttered, baffled.

Percy rubbed his face against his shirt. "You're so comfortable…I'll just stay like this forever."

Nico blushed slightly and felt his heartbeat quickening.  
With Percy's face against his chest, that might not be the best idea.

"You…are impossible…", he muttered weakly.

It felt so good. Why did it feel so good?  
He made a face and pushed himself up slightly.

"No~, Nico, why do you have to be so cruel…", Percy wailed playfully, pulling himself off Nico reluctantly.

"Oh gods, my back is going to kill me…", Nico moaned as he stretched. His back felt horrible.

Percy chuckled. "I can massage you when we get to Camp if you want."

"Uh, no. Thanks, but I'll be good."

Percy made a face. "Aw. I'd have liked that. You know, as a thanks for letting me sleep on your lap…so…it's kind of my fault if you have a bad back…"

He seemed to be pouting.  
Nico sighed. Seriously?

Still, a massage did sound nice.  
But it also sounded like there'd be a big chance for another really awkward moment.  
Plus, all he wanted to do once he got to Camp was flop into bed and wait for his admirer.  
Hopefully he'd come.

Percy stuck out his bottom lip. "I bet if Will offered a massage you'd say yes."

"Gods, Percy. Fine, you can massage me when we get to Camp.", Nico said, rolling his eyes.

This guy.

Will bolted upright. "Massage? I give better massages! Who is giving massages?", he exclaimed, turning around to look at them.

Percy grinned victoriously. "I'm giving Neeks a massage."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Nico, how could you? I told you ages ago if you ever need a massage, you just have to come to me."

"I don't need a massage, Percy insists on giving me one because my back hurts.", Nico defended himself, blushing.

"Your back hurts? Not surprising, given your sleeping position. And how does that make you NOT need a massage? Percy, let me give him a massage. I can fix him right back up."

"Are you mad? This is the first and most likely only time I'll get to do him, I'm not gonna let that slide!", Percy exclaimed, grabbing Nico and pulling him against his chest protectively.

Nico blushed a dark shade of red. Did Percy have to phrase it like that?  
Seriously?

Will scowled. "You just wait. Nico, the next massage you ever even think about will be from ME."

Nico was about to reply when Jason shifted. "You guys have the whole car ride time to argue, and you choose to do it when I'm asleep? That's hardly fair.", he muttered sulkily and looked around at them out of tired eyes.

They looked around at him guiltily.

Oops.

*****

It was unsurprisingly quiet at Camp Jupiter. Reyna, Frank and Hazel came rushing towards them the moment they got through the entrance tunnel, helping them with their luggage and wrapping Nico in one big hug – which was kind of awkward since none of the other three received a hug (nor did Jules-Albert, for that matter).

But he enjoyed it nevertheless, holding onto Reyna and Hazel tightly and patting Frank on the shoulder, rather surprised at his open display of affection towards him.  
He instantly got taken in their midst and watched as Reyna eyed the guys warily, her eyes stopping on Will, who smiled meekly and raised a hand in greeting.  
She only narrowed her eyes, glaring at the lot.

Then she whipped her head around, put her arm around Nico and off they were towards where they'd be sleeping.

Reyna had arranged for rooms for them in New Rome, which was quite something to pull off, especially since it was Christmas time. They gave their weapons up at the entrance and Will eyed the city in wonder.

"Whoa…now I know why you wanted to go here, Percy. This is awesome.", he muttered, looking around at the decorated houses. People had decorated them in normal Christmas decorations, as if this was a normal mortal city.

It was really beautiful.  
The streets were still quite active given the time, but nothing compared to the past times Nico had been here.

They reached a house at the far end of the main road and Reyna showed them inside, getting them to their respective rooms.  
Nico was worried they'd be on different floors or something, but instead they had four rooms right next to each other. Instantly, there was a heavy discussion going on between Jason, Percy and Will about who'd get to be in the room next to Nico.

Reyna ended it.

The first room would go to Jason, the second to Nico, the third to Percy and the fourth to Will, because she trusted him least, much to his dismay.  
His argument about having to sit in the front seat during the drive because the other two 'didn't want to let him get at Nico' didn't help persuade her whatsoever, either.

*****

So now, here he was, lying in his bed on top of his Christmas blanket, shirtless, only clad in his pyjama pants and was getting a massage from Percy, while Will and Jason sat on chairs at the window and watched them with crossed arms.

"Why can't you guys leave us alone?", Percy asked for what felt like the 100th time already and still pouted about it.

Nico only rolled his eyes and put his head on his arms, looking towards the two guys and tried to just enjoy the massage by itself.  
But seriously, how was he supposed to relax with Percy sitting on top of him like that?

"No way. Who knows what you're going to do once we're gone.", Will said sulkily. He was still upset about the whole massage thing.

Jason merely watched them through half-closed eyes. He seemed to be half asleep already.

"Hm, let me think…maybe…massage him?", Percy suggested sarcastically.

Nico rolled his eyes. How long was this going to continue?  
He looked over at Jason once more.  
Now he was dozing off.

Nico sighed.

"Will, could you get Jason to bed please? It's not like Percy is going to do anything. I promise you can massage me the next time, ok?"

Will made a face, but then sighed defeated and got up. "The things I do for you, Neeks. Fine, I'll leave you two alone then. But remember, I'm in the room right next to you, Percy. I'll be waiting to hear your door."

Percy chuckled and Nico groaned.  
Will helped a sleepy Jason up and the two left the room, with Nico listening to the sound of their distancing footsteps and the doors opening and closing.

Percy sighed. "You really have the most protective friends, Nico.", he muttered, continuing to massage down Nico's spine.

Nico turned his head, looking up at him. "You're no one to talk, you know." Percy only grinned down at him, then massaged a spot right beneath Nico's shoulder blades.

Nico groaned and turned his head away again.  
That had felt so nice.

"Am I hurting you?", Percy asked, halting for a second.

"No.", Nico muttered, closing his eyes as he continued slowly.

"Oh? So it feels good?"

"…Yes.", Nico admitted quietly. Percy chuckled and worked his way up and down his back.

"Are you falling asleep?", Percy asked after a while as Nico just began dozing off.

"No, I'm completely awake.", he muttered, though his voice sounded quite drowsy.

Percy snickered. "How's your back feeling now?", he asked as he slowly pulled his hands away from Nico's skin.

Nico wished he could just continue doing this all night long. It had felt so nice.

"A lot better. Thanks, Percy."

"No problem. Anything else you want me to massage while I'm at it?"

Nico stiffened.

Percy laughed. "I meant places like your head, you dirty-minded person!", he said and Nico felt like he was going to die right there.

So embarrassing.  
As Percy got off him, he sat up as well, looking around at Percy flustered.

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

But Percy only winked at him. "Of course you don't. So, do you want me to?"

Nico closed his eyes, his face flushing again.  
That guy.

"Yes, please do me.", Nico then said absolutely serious and raised his eyebrows, grinning as Percy's face flushed.

Percy shrugged sheepishly and came closer, sitting down in front of him on the bed again and put his hands on Nico's head.  
They just stared at each other while Percy began to gently massage his scalp, making Nico shiver every now and then.  
Then Nico moaned softly and let his head drop forward, hiding his face while allowing Percy's hands to move better.  
Percy chuckled quietly and came a bit closer, continuing the same movement that felt so great.

"You're…actually pretty good…", Nico muttered to get rid of the silence in the room.

"Thanks. See? Not only sons of Apollo are good at massaging."

"I never said that.", Nico instantly replied, looking up at Percy sternly.

Percy grinned at him. "I know you didn't. I just wanted to point it out."

Nico made a face, then he felt Percy's hands slowly retreating. He found himself following them ever so slightly, mourning the loss.

Percy noticed, of course, raising an eyebrow at Nico. "Want me to continue? I have all night."

Nico pulled back. "No, I'm ok. If you stay too long, you'll have to endure Will's wrath. Thanks, though. That felt really good.", he said and Percy chuckled again.

He did that a lot lately, it seemed.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. And don't you worry about Will. He's probably already asleep anyways. I bet you just want to get to bed, hoping your admirer is going to come over."

Nico looked away.

"I don't think he will, though. And if, then he won't stay long."

Percy blinked. "Why do you think that?"

"The doors."

Percy looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Can't really say anything to that. But I'm sure he'll stay for a while if it's important to you. How long does he usually stay?"

Nico hesitated. "A…few hours…"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Really? What do you guys do?"

"Well…we…talk…and…touch…"

Percy raised both eyebrows now, looking at him rather surprised.

"You guys are chatting and making out every night and you still don't know who it is?"

Nico blushed and pursed his lips. "I am usually half asleep and when I wake up in the morning I give him a sign so he can leave."

"That's…unexpected. And you're ok with that?"

"I love waking up with him. So I guess it's only fair to let him go. It seems important to him to finish this, after all. And it's only two more days…make that one.", he said as he looked at the time.

Percy looked at him oddly. "You love it?"

"Yeah, I do. I really do.", Nico instantly replied, then halted, blushing.

Percy smiled at him fondly. "Then I'm sure he'll stay the night. No matter the odds. As you said, it's only one day left. I don't think he cares whether anyone else knows he's the one as long as you don't find out before he has the chance to tell you himself.", he then said reassuringly and got up.

Nico watched him walk to the door and look around once more.

"Good night, Neeks."

"Night, Percy."

He smiled at him fondly, then closed the door quietly behind him.  
Nico listened to the footsteps slowly walking away from his door and heard the door next to his room open and close.  
He sighed deeply, falling back into his pillow.

Hopefully, Percy was right.  
He'd really like to have his admirer next to him in bed again.

But at the same time he was thinking that it was a way too big risk to take. He could hear the footsteps and the doors opening and closing as if it had happened right next to him (well, as a matter of fact, it kind of did).

It would be way too easy for him to be able to tell what room his admirer belonged to – and thus he'd know who it was.

He sighed and got beneath his blankets, wrapping his Christmas blanket tightly around him.

As long as his admirer would come at all, it'd be ok.


	25. Day 24: 24th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Dear Nico,  
> only one day left to go.  
> I love you. I love sleeping next to you.  
> I love being with you.  
> You are a truly amazing person and I have no idea how I didn't see that before.  
> You changed me, Nico.  
> Never would I have done anything like this for anybody else in my life.  
> But you, you're worth it, Nico.  
> For you, I'd do anything.  
> Wish me luck with your sister by heart ;)  
> Have a nice 24th of December, Nico.  
> I hope today's gift will remind you of how great you really are.  
> I love you,  
> Your secret Admirer  
> P.s.: Thank you. For everything.'

**Day 24: Wednesday**

He felt a body sneaking into bed behind him and allowed him to wrap his arms around him.

"Miss me?", the voice said and Nico smiled, snuggling back against him.

He felt those lips against the side of his neck again.

"Want me to stay until you wake up?"

Nico hesitated. Then he shook his head.

"It's ok.", he muttered, feeling a hand fold into his.

There was another kiss to his neck, followed by a soft nibble.  
Nico chuckled quietly. It felt so nice.

"If you want me to, I'll stay."

Nico sighed. "Then I want you to stay forever."

The person chuckled behind him, pulling him closer and burying his face at Nico's crook of the neck. "Tomorrow."

Nico sighed. "I know…"

"Are you nervous?"

"A bit. You?"

"Completely. How could I not? I'm probably the one you least expect…or want…"

He sounded so...insecure.  
His grip around Nico tightened for a moment and it felt as if his admirer was trying to reassure himself he was still there.  
Nico started turning around and cupped his face blindly, kissing him gently.

"Don't worry…I'm not expecting anybody."

"But who would you want me to be, Nico?", the voice asked, almost urgent.

Nico sighed against his lips. "Yourself."

"Nico…"

But Nico ignored him and snuggled against his chest, wrapping his arms around him.

"Nico?"

"Good night…", Nico muttered and nuzzled his face against the person's shirt.

He kissed him on the forehead.

"Good night, my angel."

*****

When Nico started waking, his admirer was still with him, arms wrapped loosely around him, his face in Nico's hair, his breathing even. He seemed to have fallen asleep.  
Nico squeezed his arm lightly.  
As response, there was a small noise behind him and the person shifted slightly, wrapping him in a tighter embrace.  
Nico squeezed again.  
The person sighed and shifted again, slowly letting go of Nico.  
But then he wrapped his arms around him once more, squeezing him tightly, pressing his lips against Nico's neck.

Nico chuckled and turned his head slightly, getting the desired kiss on the lips. Then his person sighed again and pulled back reluctantly, getting out of the bed.

Nico heard some shuffling and scribbling, then he leaned over Nico again, kissing the side of his face. Nico chuckled and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Shoo with you already, you tease.", he whined and the person sighed again, walking towards the door.

Nico could hear every footstep.  
He tried to focus on something else, though he couldn't deny he was damn curious.

It was so tempting.  
So very tempting.

He heard his door open and close.  
His heart was racing in his chest. He was half-heartedly trying to remember all the Greek gods with Roman counterparts in his head, while his ears perked up, trying to discern every little sound.  
This was unfair to his admirer.  
Then again, his admirer kind of was unfair to him, keeping him in the dark for so very long.

He felt so conflicted he thought he was going to burst.

But then, to his surprise, the person didn't go to any room.  
He went to the left and down the stairs.

Nico sat bold upright in bed. That cheater!

Then he blushed and hid his face in his hands, ashamed of himself.  
Curiosity would have gotten the better of him. Even though he knew it was important to the person, he would have still tried to find out who it was.

Damn it, it was only one day left!  
He could last that much longer, right?

Nico opened his eyes, looking about the room. He hadn't unpacked his jar of fire yesterday, because Percy had wanted to massage him as soon as they put the luggage down and were left alone by Reyna, Frank and Hazel.

Maybe he should have at least unpacked that. It was quite dark here.  
He looked around at the small bedside table the room had, wanting to check the time.

Instead, his gaze halted at a rectangular, thin package the size of his hand and a note leaning against it.  
He smiled and crawled out of bed to turn on the lights.

The little alarm clock said 8am.

Nico frowned. Weird, wouldn't it be lighter, then?  
But as he looked around at the window, he facepalmed.

The room had curtains.  
Of course it was dark.

He walked over and pushed them aside, taking in the view of the streets of New Rome.  
It was going to be a really good day, at least weather-wise.

Nico smiled and went back to his bedside table and his card and gift.  
He flopped down on his bed, picking the card up carefully as usual.

It still was something special to him.

_[Dear Nico,_

_only one day left to go._

_I love you. I love sleeping next to you._

_I love being with you._

_You are a truly amazing person and I have no idea how I didn't see that before._

_You changed me, Nico._

_Never would I have done anything like this for anybody else in my life._

_But you, you're worth it, Nico._

_For you, I'd do anything._

_Wish me luck with your sister by heart ;)_

_Have a nice 24th of December, Nico._

_I hope today's gift will remind you of how great you really are._

_I love you,_

_Your secret Admirer_

_P.s.: Thank you. For everything.]_

Nico sighed and let his gaze travel over to the window, looking outside.  
One day.  
Just one day left.

His insides instantly went back into turmoil.  
He was excited, to say the least. But he was also scared.

Who would it be?  
How would things be once he found out who it was?  
Would it be awkward between them?  
Would they be together right away or were there some sort of guidelines?  
Would they take it slow or would they let everything and anything happen as it went?  
What would his other two friends say?  
Would they be ok with him dating one of them?  
They were happy for him now, but how would it be if he was dating one of them?  
Would they still spend so much time together?  
Would they feel like outsiders, as if they were intruding whenever they were around?

Nico didn't know.

He loved the admirer.

He made him feel good. Happy. Loved.

But by now, he saw the admirer as a completely separate person from his friends.  
Would it take him some time to get used to the person being one of them?  
Or would everything just fit together?

He shook his head and looked around at his gift.

_'I hope today's gift will remind you of how great you really are'_

Nico took the package carefully.

It wasn't heavy or anything. But it wasn't exceptionally light either.  
This would be his last gift before Christmas.

He began opening it slowly, noticing how he was holding his breath.

It was a box.

Still holding his breath, he cautiously opened it.  
Then he let out his breath in one long sigh, his lips splitting into a smile.

He took out the miniature Athena Parthenos.

Of course.

_'Show you how great you truly are'_

He closed his eyes, shaking his head, but he still smiled.  
Anybody could have done that if they knew how to shadow-travel.  
He turned the statue in his hands, eyeing it from all angles.

Then he turned it upside down and noticed a small engraving.

_[To show you who the real hero was all along.]_

He laughed. Oh gods.  
He was no hero!

*****

Turning the figure over and over in his hands, he started thinking of his past.

Before Bianca's death, after her death, the tasks he had taken upon himself, the things he had accomplished.  
He thought of the fights he had fought and the monsters he had slain.  
Of the ghosts he had questioned and the skeletons he had summoned.  
Of the choices he had made and the decisions he had regretted.  
Of the good things as well as the bad ones.  
Of his friends and foes.  
Of the challenges he had accepted and the risks he had taken.  
And he realized that he had achieved a lot.  
He had had a rough childhood, growing up without his parents.

Losing Bianca as soon as things seemed to turn to the better.  
But he had made a stand.

He had managed to realize and control his powers, mostly by himself.  
Had managed to get stronger and prove his worth.  
He had urged Percy to do the thing with the Styx, making him invincible.  
He had urged his father to join the battle against Kronos, thus turning the whole thing around and allowing Percy and the others to win.  
He had gotten his sister back, even though it hadn't been Bianca, but Hazel.  
He had found out about the two Camps and kept it secret to prevent a war.  
He had gone through Tartarus for the Doors of Death.  
He had made it through alive.  
He had managed to stand his ground against thousands of monsters.  
And he had gotten the Athena Parthenos safely from Europe to Camp Half-Blood.

*****

A feeling of pride filled him. He had achieved a lot.  
He might not be as great a hero as Percy or Jason, but he was Child of the Big Three.  
And he was proud of being the son of Hades.  
He was proud of being who he was.

Maybe not of whom he had been, but of whom he had become.

Nico smiled to himself, gripping the statue tight.  
Was this what his admirer wanted to show him?

Nico got up, pocketing the mini Parthenos and went to collect his things for a nice long shower.

He was feeling great.

And tomorrow was Christmas.

*****

Ten seconds after he pulled his pants up, the boys rushed in and abducted him, urging him to pick some breakfast to go and off they were, strolling through New Rome together, fascinated by their surroundings as the day before.  
Then Hazel picked them up and showed them the rest of Camp Jupiter (mostly because Will wanted to see EVERYTHING) before finally bringing them to Reyna and Frank, who had been with the other Campers, making plans for New Year's Eve.

Jason was immediately taken in by the people from his old cohort, all of them overly happy to see him again. The last time he had been around had been two months ago, but one got the impression it had been years.  
Percy was also included instantly and Will found quite a few of his roman siblings, getting along rather well with them.

Nico watched them, grinning to himself how openly people showed their affections for those two and welcomed Will into their midst instantly.  
As it was, he could barely stop the Apollo kids from taking Will with them to the infirmary to give him a private tour and compare ideas and solutions for all kinds of medical stuff.  
He was glad Will enjoyed his stay so far. He certainly seemed utterly taken in by New Rome as well.

Nico was just standing at the side, watching the commotion, when all three boys looked around to him and pulled him with them in their midst.  
Trust them to not permit him to be the odd one out again.  
Though he couldn't deny he liked the notion.

Until Will wrapped his arms around him from behind and nuzzled his face against Nico's neck, causing Nico to squirm in surprise, which Reyna instantly reacted to with throwing the first thing she could get her hands on – in this case, luckily not her weapon, but 'only' a wooden angel figure – and narrowly missing Will's head by inches.

That had caused both Jason and Percy to laugh loudly and other campers staring at them and Reyna in shock, while Nico just looked around at Reyna with big eyes and Will decided it was safer to let Percy sit next to Nico instead of him.

After they all had lunch together, seated in the very midst of the crowd, Nico got pulled aside by Hazel and Frank while Reyna took the boys into custody.

Nico only made a face. Was it really time for 'the talk' already?  
He'd have preferred to first talk to Reyna in private before it came this far.  
What if she decided to tell him? Would he want to know?

Hell yes, he wanted to know, but at the same time: ONLY ONE DAY LEFT!

He was highly doubting there was even one other person in the world, child or not, that could anticipate Christmas more than him right now.  
He was practically dying to find out.

Which reminded him that he had a Christmas card for his dad, but no idea how to give it to him, as well as brownies to bake for Jason which he still had to do VERY soon.

He pointed this out to Hazel and Frank as soon as the others were gone and they instantly went with the idea, helping him getting the ingredients and working hard on the batter.  
So now, Hazel and Nico were sitting in front of the oven, waiting for the tray of brownies to get done baking.  
Nico was glad his sister had helped him. He would have never been able to manage this on his own.

Frank had left some time ago because a few campers needed his help with some Fauns, but he had also been a great help.  
Nico was glad those two had found each other. They were so happy together and a really good match.  
He could practically see them getting married and having kids.

They'd make a great family.

"Are you looking forward to tomorrow?", Nico asked her after a while, gazing at the tray in the oven.

"Oh, yes. I can't wait to celebrate Christmas with all of you. I wish Annabeth and Piper could have come as well, but they IM-ed me and said they'd be coming over for New Year's Eve at least, so it's ok. But I bet you're looking forward to tomorrow even more, aren't you?"

Nico had told her about his admirer.  
He had even promised to show her his gifts later and let her try some of the candy he still had left over from yesterday.

She had already heard from Reyna and was happy and excited for him – and, judging by the way she was looking at the three possible candidates, already happily guessing away who it was.

He sighed and stared at the tray in the oven. "Well…yeah…"

"Don't worry. Everything will work out just fine."

"Hopefully."

"For sure. Those three really care about you, Nico. All of them. Who would you want it to be? If you didn't have to listen to any reason or think logically – who would it be?"

Nico sighed.

That question. He hated that question.  
Because life was no fairytale. It wasn't as if he could just say 'Hey, I wish it was that guy' and the next day everything would just miraculously work out that way.  
It didn't really matter what name he said. It wouldn't make a difference anyways.

At least not to the situation.

But it would make a difference to him. Because the moment he decided to say one name out loud, he would admit to have more feelings for that one person.  
And that person wouldn't be his admirer. He couldn't be.

Thus, Nico would be disappointed.  
And his admirer would be disappointed.  
And everybody else would be disappointed.

He really hated that question.

"Oh, come on. Just say it. I won't tell anybody and if it's somebody else, I'm sure you'd still be happy."

Nico shook his head. "I…really can't say. It seems so improbable that it's any of them."

Hazel chuckled. "You think so? To me it seems more like it could be any of them."

"How so?"

"They all like you."

"Yeah, but as friends."

Hazel only sighed again and smiled, wrapping her arms around his.  
Then the oven beeped. Hazel and Nico went to check whether the brownies were done.

They looked done. Dark, but not burnt and squishy but not liquid-ish anymore.  
Nico took them out the oven and Hazel cut them into nice-sized bits, then they let them cool down before wrapping them up in foil to transport them to Nico's room for packing.

"So, let's go check out those awesome gifts you told me about.", she decided grinning and off they went.

Nico was just glad he had solved one problem.

*****

"This is so BEAUTIFUL!", she marveled as she held up the flower in the glass case.

She had liked the other gifts as well, but this was by far her favorite.

"And it got such a beautiful meaning to it as well. Whoever that guy is, he has my blessing."

Nico chuckled. "Well, then nothing can go wrong, I suppose."

As he flopped down on the bed, he noticed a card sticking out of one of his bags.

"Oh, Hazel, do you have any idea how I could…erm…send something to our dad?"

Hazel looked up. "You got him a Christmas gift?", she asked curiously.

He hesitated, fidgeting with his hands. "Not exactly. But I did get him a card, so…"

"Aww, that's so sweet. I'm sure he'll love it. What did you write inside?"

Oh gods, he had almost forgotten about that.  
Nico jumped off the bed and went over to the bag, taking out the card carefully and picking up his camera.

"I couldn't think of anything special so all I wrote was 'Merry Christmas Dad and anyone who happens to be there!', but I wanted to add a picture of…well, of us. Together."

She looked at him with big eyes. Then she beamed at him. "That's a great idea. Let's do it!"

Well, it wasn't that easy.  
Especially because he had his typical 'oh-my-god-I'm-being-photographed'-face on, which meant expressionless or with closed eyes, looking exasperated.

Hazel looked stunning in all of them, though she wasn't satisfied with any.

Girls.

But then they finally managed to get a few decent shots after they had tickled each other to death and tried to be more relaxed about it.  
So now they sat on his bed, staring into his mini laptop as he happily clicked around on it, zapping through the pictures and deleting the ones that weren't good enough to keep (he would take them out of the bin later, when Hazel was out of sight).  
Hazel was surprised at how many pictures he had already taken, taking over his mouse at some point and clicking through the folders.

"You four really do a lot together, don't you?", she asked, smiling as she looked at one picture with the four of them on it, making stupid faces.

Nico chuckled, remembering when they took that. "Yeah, somehow we spend a lot more time together nowadays than before."

She looked at the ones of the Camp and the snowmen.  
Then at the ones from Will's date.  
Nico pointedly looked away. It hadn't been a date!

"Aww, you look so cute on this one!", she giggled and looked at one where he was sleeping against Will's chest.

"Yeah, yeah.", he muttered, his ears hot.

He didn't need his sister telling him he was cute. SHE was cute. Not him.  
She continued looking through his pictures.  
Then she found the ones from his date with Percy.  
It hadn't been a date!

Then his insides filled with dread. Had he left 'those' pictures in the bin?  
He remembered he had put them there but couldn't delete them. Had he left them in there or had he taken them out again? And if he did, where did he put them?  
Luckily for him, they weren't in the folder Hazel was looking through.

He sighed relieved, as she clicked through some more of Jason and him. "Is everything ok?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was just thinking I'm getting really hungry. Want to go pick something up?"

"Oh…sure.", she agreed, blinking and looking back at his laptop frowning.

But she just shrugged and let him shut it down, promising her to print her some pictures out later.  
He'd still have to find a printer in this place to print out the picture for his dad as well, after all.  
Maybe he should have taken his printer with him.

Nah, his friends would have killed him if he had started packing his printer as well. He had kind of raided his entire cabin already.  
Well, next time he'd simply have to leave something behind…his clothes for instance.

At the thought of rather taking his printer than clothes, he had to smile. This was one stupid train of thoughts.

*****

They were just out the room when the guys came back.

"Oh my…", Hazel muttered, chuckling as she took in their appearances.

They all seemed disheveled and out powered, as if Reyna had made them run lapses until they broke down.  
But as they looked at him, all of them beamed.

"So, how'd it go?", he asked, feeling his lips twitch bemused at the sight of them.

They threw each other quick glances.

"Not bad, I guess. She just asked this and that…", Jason shrugged and the others nodded, though none of them would meet Nico's eyes.

He only raised an eyebrow but didn't push the topic. Instead, they decided to pick up food together, Nico intending to invite them all, but Hazel beat him to it.  
And thus, they suddenly found themselves sitting in a small restaurant, happily ordering away.  
Or at least they were trying to.

"Damn this Latin. I have no clue what it says. Why can't you guys write in English?", Percy complained, squinting at the menu.

"Yeah, I feel you, alright. But I decided I'll simply take whatever Nico is taking.", Will stated and Jason sighed exasperated.

"You guys are hopeless. You want to live here and make all these great plans, but you can't even read a menu."

Hazel and Nico chuckled.  
Then Nico blinked.

"Eh? You are making plans to live here?", he asked, suddenly wondering where he'd been when they talked about this.

What if Percy had decided to move here alone on short notice and wouldn't go back to Camp Half-Blood with them?  
What if Will would be able to arrange something and move here as well?  
What would Nico do?  
Would he be the only one left out again? Alone at Camp Half-Blood?

He did want to move to New Rome someday, but that was a day far off in the future...with a boyfriend...settling down to be...together...

He shook his head slightly, trying to clear his mind and get his thoughts in order.

"Yeah, this place is amazing. So we thought when Jason is done with everything he wants to set right, we'd all go here together and finish college. We should have probably asked your opinion first, though...", Will explained and they all looked at him rather uncertain.

Nico blinked. "You...want me...to come live with you...here?"

All of them fidgeted.

"Well...yeah...we thought it would be nice to have a...a normal life, for once. With all we've been through, it'd make a nice change, wouldn't it?", Jason tried tentatively.

Percy only looked at Nico hopefully.  
Nico still blinked.

"But...you want ME to live with YOU, HERE?", he asked again.

For a long moment, there was silence.  
Then Percy facepalmed, laughing relieved.

"Oh gods, I get it. Neeks, you had me worried there. Of course we want to live with you. We were thinking by then you'd probably have a boyfriend, so a shared accommodation is a no-go. But we were thinking of at least sharing the same apartment building and well, of course, classes in school. But yes, we want you with us. Of course we want you with us. You're the person that's keeping the three of us together after all. You think I want to spend the rest of my life putting up with Jason thinking he's better, if it wasn't for you?"

"Hey. Don't get cocky now. But yeah, of course we want you with us. How could you even doubt that?", Jason asked, looking dumbfounded at Nico.

Nico looked over to Will, who only laughed while frowning at him at the same time, which looked really weird.  
They hadn't tried to leave him out at all. They were thinking in a way that automatically included him.  
He looked around at Hazel, who was only smiling at him fondly and nodded expectantly towards his friends as if he was supposed to say something.

"Uh...I'd love to, then."

They beamed at him. "Then it's settled."

Nico wondered vaguely what he had gotten himself into right there.

But the thought of living close to his friends in New Rome, actually having a normal life, sounded really, really nice.

*****

They spent the entire day either in Nico's room, shooting tons of pictures, or running around in New Rome and Camp Jupiter, also happily snapping pictures with anybody who wanted to – which was the entire population it seemed.  
Seriously, Nico had never met so many friendly and open-minded people before. They asked random kids or couples or people in general that strolled through New Rome and – except for a fair few – all of them had agreed instantly to taking pictures as well as having pictures taken with them.

It was actually really funny.

Reyna and Frank had joined them and they managed to get some good shots of them as well, especially of Hazel, Nico and Reyna together.

All in all, it was a great day.

They found a copy-shop where Nico wanted to print out a few pictures, though this prove a bit problematic because everybody wanted between 20-30 pictures each and kept bickering about which ones were the best.  
Nico could only sigh at that and printed out a picture of all of them and one with just Hazel and him and left the others to argue some more. He decided he'd put both pictures inside the card for his father, though why, he couldn't say.

How he would give it to him, he still had no idea. Maybe he would take up Hermes' help after all. He was quite certain the god would manage to get the card there, though Nico wasn't sure what he'd want in return. Plus, it wasn't exactly personal to get it delivered like that.

But at least it was an idea and thus better than nothing.  
Nico sighed and flopped onto his bed.  
Reyna, Hazel and Frank had left ages ago and the boys were all in their respective rooms as well. It was late, after all.

He looked around at the time. He so didn't want to go to bed.  
His heart was beating loudly in his chest.

Only one more night...

Excitement and anticipation filled him, but at the same time he was so scared.  
He didn't know what to do.  
And he knew full well he wouldn't be able to sleep.

Would his admirer come tonight? Would he actually stay?  
Would Nico wake up in the morning and be allowed to see who it was, see who was lying next to him?  
Nico put his hands to his face.

Thinking of things like that only made his heart flutter even worse.

He felt like a little kid, barely able to keep still from all the anticipation.  
How was he ever going to be able to sleep?  
He sighed and got out of the bed, getting changed.

Somehow, he'd have to make it work.  
Slipping beneath his blankets with his pyjama pants, he grabbed Mrs. O'Leary Jr. and held her tightly pressed against his chest, closing his eyes.

Only one more night.  
He turned around.

Somebody stop his heart from beating so loudly!

Tomorrow was Christmas.  
He turned around again.

The faster he fell asleep, the faster it would be tomorrow and he'd meet his admirer.  
Nico opened his eyes.

How could he go to sleep with everything inside him being so damn fuzzy?!

He got up, deciding to waste some time on his laptop. Maybe that would make him sleepy enough to go to bed.

*****

An hour later, he still wasn't sleeping. He had played all sorts of games on his laptop, then stared at his flower, looked through his photo album and even played with his Athena Parthenos, wondering what her special abilities would be if she was part of the Mythomagic figurines.

Still, he was wide awake and if anything even more agitated and nervous.

What was he going to do?

He groaned loudly, intending to just fall backwards onto his pillow, but since he had repositioned himself, he instantly toppled out of bed onto the floor. It didn't even hurt, so he just stayed there, his mind too busy with everything else.  
How was he supposed to sleep, knowing it was the very last night of not knowing?

One should think he'd fall asleep faster than ever, yet his insides simply didn't want to settle down!

He stared at the ceiling. This was horrible.

He couldn't even go to one of his friends, because then his admirer might think that this friend was the one he wanted and blah.  
And he doubted they'd be too happy about him disturbing their sleep, either.

It knocked on his door and next moment, all three of them stood in the doorway, looking at him questioningly.

"You ok?", Jason asked.

"What are you doing on the floor?", Will frowned.

"We heard loud noises, so we thought we'd better check...", Percy explained, raising an eyebrow at Nico, who only sighed and put his arm over his face.

"I'm ok, guys. Just...trying to sleep...", he muttered unhappily.

"On the floor?", Will asked and they all raised both their eyebrows at Nico now, who only pointedly looked away, ears burning.

He heard chuckling and next moment, all three of them were with him, pulling him up.

"Nico, you don't have to be embarrassed you're excited.", Jason laughed.

"Yeah, just think of how nervous your admirer must be. Only this night and he'll have to come out to you.", Percy shook his head, grinning.

"Want us to spend the night with you?", Will offered.

"Uh...", Nico muttered.

Spending the night with them sounded nice, but then his admirer couldn't cuddle with him, could he? Then again, Nico didn't even know whether his admirer would even come tonight.

Jason patted his shoulder and sat him down on the bed.

"That's a great idea. This is most likely going to be the last night you're single, after all. When you two are dating, there won't be many chances of all of us sleeping together anymore."

That was a fair point.

"Yeah, I also like it. I mean, we don't even have to share beds again or anything, we could just grab two more mattresses and put them on the floor and sleep on there, Neeks. That way, Will can't molest you again.", Percy suggested, making Will's head snap around.

"Excuse me? I haven't molested Nico all day!"

"Yeah, because Reyna was watching your every step.", Percy retorted, making Will scowl.

Jason chuckled. "Well, he does have a point, Will. How about we are having a real slumber party? With snacks and talking and-..."

"Truth or Dare?", Will asked hopefully.

Nico groaned. "No way, not again. You're just going to make me do weird stuff again."

"But it's fun...", Will pouted.

"Sure, I'm in if we invite Reyna, Hazel and Frank over.", Percy shrugged, grinning menacingly towards Will, who immediately flinched. "Uh...then again, we already played it twice, we shouldn't overdo it, I suppose...", the son of Apollo muttered and Jason and Percy chuckled.

Nico was still wondering whether this really was a good idea.  
The three looked around at him again with big eyes and he sighed.

"Sure, get the mattresses then.", he said, defeated.

The three beamed at him. Will and Jason jumped up and hurried out of the room.

Percy got up as well, then blinked as the other two were faster than him. He looked back at Nico. "Erm...I think I'll go get some card games or something. Good?"

Nico shrugged. "Sure, that way, Will won't get a chance at persuading us to play Truth or Dare."

Percy chuckled and left as well, while Nico looked about his room, sighing.  
Well, this way he'd spend the entire night with his admirer, just without the cuddling and kissing.  
But therefore, he'd find out who it was...tomorrow...

He pulled his legs up on the bed and crawled over to his bedside table, where he had put the envelope with the letter and all the notes, including the scrap of paper saying 'I love you' that his admirer had placed in his hand.  
He fondly looked them over, touching each one softly, his eyes hushing over bits of the text on them.

Tomorrow.  
Only one night away.

He heard noises coming towards his room and put the notes down quickly, not wanting his friends to tease him.  
It was Jason and Will, carrying in their mattresses and flopping them down on the ground next to Nico's bed just to then disappear again to get blankets.

Nico chuckled.

A slumber party the night before Christmas.  
If anybody would have told him that on the 1st of December, he'd have laughed and thought the person was mental.  
Then again, he wouldn't have believed it either that there would be a person who loved Nico and wanted to be with him and would come out to him tomorrow.

A year ago he would have also not believed anybody if they told him he'd have so many wonderful friends, a sister and a sister by heart as well as being accepted at the Camps.

Things surely did change.  
He smiled to himself.  
He was glad things had turned out the way they had.

And now he also realized that nothing of this would have happened had he ever made a different decision.  
No matter how many 'wrong' decisions he had made, they had brought him here.

And he loved his life right now.  
He was happy.  
His smile widened.

"Someone seems happy.", Percy said, standing in the doorway and looking over at him fondly.

Nico chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Percy smiled and came over, sitting down next to him. "That's great. So the admirer succeeded, then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he did write that all he wanted was to make you happy."

Nico smiled. "Then I guess he succeeded. He made me realize quite a few things."

Percy tilted his head, curious. "Like what?"

Nico looked up at the ceiling. "Like...gods, he made me realize so much. To make a long story short: If I had the chance to turn back the time and change anything I want, I wouldn't do it. Because no matter how many bad things happened, all of that has made this moment right now possible. And I love it. I love being friends with you guys and having a sister and Reyna. I love having a home and being accepted. It just...just feels so nice. Everything does. And I wouldn't want it any other way."

As he looked around at Percy, he noticed the dark-haired had his gaze fixed on him, watching him with this expression Nico couldn't identify.  
He felt Percy's hand touching the side of his face gently, caressing his skin.

"I'm glad...", Percy breathed and Nico gazed into those sea-green eyes transfixed, noticing how his heart was beating way too fast in his chest, though he didn't really care.

He smiled at him tentatively, resisting the urge to lean against the touch.  
Percy smiled back fondly.  
Then the door slammed open and Will and Jason came rushing back in with blankets.

Percy pulled back his hand and put it on Nico's shoulder for a moment, squeezing it slightly before getting up and helping the boys getting everything ready and showing the sets of cards he got.

Nico sighed and looked back to his notes wistfully.

One night.

Then he'd know.

Finally.

The three looked around at him, noticing his gaze.

They threw each other meaningful glances and smiled, but decided not to comment on it for once.

*****

Hours later, they were still up, sitting together on the mattresses on the floor, playing cards and eating chips. They all were tired as hell, but seemingly not tired enough to actually lie down and sleep.  
Especially not Nico. He had his Christmas blanket wrapped around himself and Mrs. O'Leary Jr. pressed against his chest, dealing cards with only half-open eyes, but still he couldn't make himself go to sleep.  
The others were in similar shapes.

"Gods, I so wanna know what I'm getting for Christmas from you, Neeks. Can't you give me a hint? It's almost tomorrow anyways...", Will whined and Jason and Percy chuckled, looking around at Nico, who only rolled his eyes sleepily.

"Still no."

"How can you be so cold?", he wailed.

Nico sighed. "I'm just not going to spoil your surprise, that's all. Now shush and play your card."

"But I want to know so badly."

"And I want to know who the admirer is. Am I whining around?", Nico retorted and Will pushed out his bottom lip, playing a card.

Jason and Percy threw each other meaningful glances.

"Yeah, we're surprised about that, too. All this time, you haven't even asked any of us just once. How come?", Jason asked him.

Nico shrugged. "Two reasons. One: I still can't believe it's any of you, thus I'm not suspecting any of you, thus why would I ask any of you whether it was you if I don't believe it's you in the first place. Two: You'd all have said no anyways."

"But it is one of us.", Will sulked.

"So you don't want any of us to be your admirer?", Jason asked frowning.

Both Percy and Will made a face and looked at Nico with big eyes.

Nico sighed. "I didn't say that..."

"Who would you want it to be, then?", Will asked and all three of them looked at him expectantly.

He shifted uneasily and looked down at Mrs. O'Leary Jr.

"I...don't...", he muttered, wondering how he'd get out of this.

He really didn't want to talk about this.

"Oh, come on. Are you seriously trying to tell us you haven't thought about who you'd like it to be?", Will asked exasperated.

"Well, I try not to."

"Why not?"

"Because I try not to think of you three like that. Imagine I'd say one name now. One of your names. And it's not the admirer. Then there'd be one person stunned that I think of them that way. One person that thinks he just wasted 24 days for nothing. And one person who'll either think its funny or be upset."

There was silence for a moment.

"Nah, I wouldn't think like that. If you said my name and I wasn't your admirer, I'd be flattered. If you said somebody else's name and I was your admirer, I'd still come out to you and try my luck. And if I was neither the person you wanted nor the admirer, then I certainly wouldn't think it was funny. It would be a bit awkward, though.", Will said, shrugging.

"I agree. Though, I have to add that if I was the admirer and you'd like somebody else and you'd have the chance to date him instead, I'd support you. Because I'd want you to be happy, no matter if with me or with somebody else.", Jason explained quietly.

Nico looked around at Percy, who just stared down at his hands with an odd expression, but looked up, noticing his glance.

"I know you wouldn't say my name, so there's that. Thus, if I was the admirer I wouldn't be surprised whatsoever, but still try my luck, unless you have better chances with somebody else. As Jason said, I'd also just want you to be happy.", he muttered, looking back down at his hands.

Nico made a face. "You're all idiots.", he then said, pointedly looking away.

"Nah, we just want you to be honest to yourself. You keep being considerate of a mysterious person, but you don't really take the time to find out what YOU really want, Neeks. We all know the admirer loves you and we just want to make sure you actually date him because YOU want to, not because he happens to want you.", Jason said quietly.

Nico sighed. "I know..."

Then he got up. "I think I'll be going to bed now.", he announced, making all three of them look up.

"Really? Oh, come on, Nico. We didn't mean to push you...", Jason started, but Nico held up a hand. "It's not that. I'm just really tired. I know you all mean well and are worried, but I'm fine. I don't care who of you it is going to be. I'm just glad it IS one of you. And I think each of you has the ability to make me happy in your own way. So there's that.", he explained and turned away, climbing into his bed with his Christmas blanket.

There was silence in the room for a moment.

"Wait, so you'd be ok with it being me?", Will asked excitedly.

Nico just groaned.

"But who'd make you happiest?", Jason asked quietly.

Nico sighed.

"Right now, I'd say Percy because he's not asking stupid questions.", he muttered, looking sideways at the boys, giving them one of his best glares he could muster in his sleepy state.

Percy chuckled quietly, though he still seemed upset about something.

"But...", Will started, but Nico hissed.

"Good night, guys!", he exclaimed and pushed his head beneath the pillow.

"Fine...good night, Nico...and you other weirdoes. I want to sleep next to Nico!", Will announced and Nico could hear him moving, but then there were more noises and wailing.

"No chance. I'm sleeping next to Nico. You go over there in your corner.", Jason said.

"I am not going to sleep next to Percy. He'll kill me in my sleep.", Will whined.

"I'm not going to sleep next to Will. I'll kill him in his sleep.", Percy agreed.

Jason sighed loudly. "You guys are unbelievable. Fine, have it your way."

"So I can sleep next to Nico?", Will asked hopefully.

Silence.

"No, Percy will sleep next to Nico. You will sleep next to me."

"Aww, but I swear I won't try anything."

"Guys, shut the hell up, I'm trying to sleep. And for your information, I'll be sleeping on the OTHER side of the bed, so NOBODY is sleeping next to me.", Nico exclaimed, sitting up again and glaring at the lot.

"Unless your admirer joins you in the middle of the night to do naughty things with you...", Will put in, wriggling his eyebrows.

Nico wanted to sigh exasperated, but then changed his mind, looking up at the ceiling wistfully.

"That is true. But I don't think he'll make out with me as usual when you're around. We wouldn't want to wake you, after all. But some kisses and a bit of touching wouldn't be half bad, I guess...sure, I'm in."

Will gaped at him.  
Jason raised his eyebrows, a blush spreading on his cheeks.

Percy straight out laughed. "Gods, Nico, you're a jewel."

Nico winked suggestively, then rolled his eyes and fell facedown into his pillow again.

"Gods, what did I just do...", he muttered quietly, more to himself than to anybody else.

"You just showed us your naughty side, Neeks.", Jason chuckled and Nico pushed himself back up. "You do know I was only joking, right?", he asked, panicked.

All three of them laughed. Even Will, with his ears flaming red.

"Of course. But that was hella sexy. I know I'd so join you in that bed tonight.", Will exclaimed and Nico blushed.

"Whatever. I'm going to bed. Alone. Good night.", he muttered, dropping back into his pillow and pulling the blankets up over his head.

He heard chuckling but ignored it.

"Good night, Nico.", he heard someone say but didn't reply, instead turning away from the guys and closing his eyes.

One night.  
A few hours.  
Soon.

His heart was beating loudly in his chest, the anticipation and excitement coming back.

So soon.

He could barely wait.


	26. Day 25: Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Nico, I love you so much.  
> But because I love you, I want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me.  
> I need you to think about those questions from last night once more and answer them truthfully.  
> Who do you expect?  
> Who do you want?  
> Who makes you happiest?  
> Please, Nico. I know you won't like it. I know that, in fact, you'll hate it.  
> But I need to know how you truly feel.  
> I don't want you to take me out of pity.  
> Don't take me because I made you gifts.  
> Take me because you like me, Nico.  
> Take me because you want me.  
> Take me because you believe I can make you happy.  
> Because I want to make you happy.  
> But if somebody else could make you happier, then I'd want you to take him instead.  
> Because you deserve it, Nico. You deserve all the love in the world.  
> And you deserve to get the person YOU want to have.  
> Don't date me because I like you. Date me because you want to be with me.
> 
> I started this to make you happy, not to win you over.'

**Day 25: Christmas**

When Nico woke up in the morning, he was alone in his room.  
He blinked, staring at the empty mattresses on the floor next to his bed, then looked around at the time.

It was 9am.

Oops. He must have overslept.

Nico stretched and sat up sleepily, noticing the red envelope next to him on the pillow.  
He was completely awake in an instant.

It was Christmas!

His admirer would come out to him today!  
He grabbed the letter, turning it around in his hands.

Everything inside him itched to read it. But at the same time, panic surged through him.

Would it say who it was?  
How was his admirer going to tell him?  
Now he would have preferred if he had simply woken up in his arms...

He slowly opened the envelope, taking out a folded piece of cream-colored paper.  
This was like the first letter he had received.

How weird it was to think it had already been 24/25 days since he found that first letter on the floor at his door…  
Gently unfolding it, he began reading.

_[Dear Nico,_

_Merry Christmas! And thank you for everything._

_I'm glad you never asked me straight out whether it was me or not, because I could have never lied to you like that. You would have known in an instant, I ensure you._

_It was already way too difficult to act oblivious to everything as it was, though I did sometimes almost give myself away._

_But I guess you never really thought it was me, so you didn't notice._

_Or you did notice but didn't think too much into it._

_Nico, I love you so much._

_But because I love you, I want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me._

_I need you to think about those questions from last night once more and answer them truthfully._

_Who do you expect?_

_Who do you want?_

_Who makes you happiest?_

_Please, Nico. I know you won't like it. I know that, in fact, you'll hate it._

_But I need to know how you truly feel._

_I don't want you to take me out of pity._

_Don't take me because I made you gifts._

_Take me because you like me, Nico._

_Take me because you want me._

_Take me because you believe I can make you happy._

_Because I want to make you happy._

_But if somebody else could make you happier, then I'd want you to take him instead._

_Because you deserve it, Nico. You deserve all the love in the world._

_And you deserve to get the person YOU want to have._

_Don't date me because I like you. Date me because you want to be with me._

_I won't hold it against you, Nico. Never that._

_I'll accept your answer, no matter what it is, and we will still be friends, no matter what._

_I started this to make you happy, not to win you over._

_I also needed this to show you I'm really serious about you._

_I know you would have never truly believed me otherwise – in fact, you still might not believe me at all._

_I have to admit, I didn't expect us to get quite so close at night and I hope you won't hold it against me, though you have every right to._

_All I can say is that I loved every second of it and that it made me happier than you could ever imagine._

_Nico, I gave a lot of promises in my life._

_Most of them I gave away easily and forgot about them shortly afterwards._

_Others I simply couldn't manage to keep._

_When I dropped that first letter off at your cabin, I swore on the River Styx that I'd go through with this._

_Because I don't want to ever break a promise I make to you, Nico._

_That's also the main reason why I haven't come out to you before, even though I would have loved to so many times._

_No matter your decision, know that I'll always be there for you, whenever you need me and whatever you need me for – really, anything._

_I love you, Nico._

_I placed a small note inside your other envelope – I think it's very endearing of you to have kept the small 'I love you'-note as well, by the way – on which you'll find a meeting place and time._

_Don't show the others, that way you'll know it really is me and not some sort of mistake._

_I would prefer to just have you wake up in my arms, but I don't think that's a good idea._

_Plus, I'd never be able to let you go, then._

_I hope you had a good sleep, my angel._

_I wish I could be there to watch you wake up._

_I love you,_  
_Your secret Admirer]_

Nico stared at the letter.  
Mixed feelings welled up inside him.

He wasn't exactly surprised that his admirer hadn't just written down who he was, but he had hoped it would be a bit clearer.

And those questions...

Nico knew the answers of course.  
But he was worried they were the wrong answers.

He looked over to his other envelope, overflowing with notes.  
He took it carefully, looking for the note his admirer had mentioned, worried he might not be able to find it.

Instead, he found it instantly.

_[There are no wrong answers. Just be honest._

_Time: 11am_

_Place: Small park next to the bridge, third bench to the right._

_Please come.]_

Of course he'd come. And how the hell had his admirer known about his fear with the answers?!  
He turned the note around and found those three questions staring back at him.

 _Who do you expect?_  
_Who do you want?_  
_Who makes you the happiest?_

Nico scowled. Then he sighed defeated and looked at the time.  
Pocketing the note and the letter, he went to the bathroom with his Christmas pullover and other clean clothes.  
Time for a nice, long shower before he met his admirer.

Also, he had three questions to answer truthfully.

*****

When he was done with his shower and completely dressed, his ponytail perfect and his scarf wrapped around his neck securely, he returned to his room to look for a pen.  
It was still empty.

He had to admit he was a bit surprised that his friends weren't around at all.  
But maybe his admirer kept them busy to give him enough time to answer those questions.  
He found a pen and flopped down on his bed, staring at the questions once more.

He knew the answers.

But knowing them inside one's head and actually writing them down were two different things.  
Thinking them meant he could later on say something different.  
Writing them meant it was absolute.

He put the pen to the paper, noticing how he was holding his breath.  
Maybe he should overthink his answers once more.

Who was it most likely going to be? If he could just figure it out, then...  
Then what? Then he could answer in a way to make the person happy

But wasn't the whole point of this to be honest?  
Would he be honest if he cheated?

No.

He groaned and bit his lip.  
Honest.  
He had to be honest.  
Had to write what he had refused to admit all this time.

He closed his eyes, taking another deep breath.

Then he answered.

 _Who do you expect? -_ Will  
_Who do you want? -_ Percy  
_Who makes you the happiest? -_ Jason

Nico stared down at his answers.  
He had done it.  
Relief and dread surged through him.  
He had actually done it.  
He closed his eyes, clutching the note tightly against his chest.  
He had really done it.

Nico took a deep breath. He could only hope he wouldn't regret his choices.

*****

Of course, out of the three, Will was the one he kind of expected. Not that he really thought it was him, but Will was the only one who was officially bisexual and the only one of the three who openly said 'I want to kiss you' and things like that.

He wanted Percy, because he had always wanted Percy. He'd die to have it be Percy, even though he knew it wasn't going to happen. But that was ok. He had accepted that fact a long time ago already, even though it didn't change the fact that he still wanted him.

And Jason would make him the happiest because that's simply how Jason was. In this case, it wasn't the happiness of finding out he was his admirer, but the happiness in the relationship. He would be the most considerate of the lot and the one most devoted, making him feel comfortable and happy in that special way of his that only he mastered.

*****

Nico sighed. It didn't matter who it was going to be. He would be happy about any of them.  
Looking at the time, he put on his aviator's jacket and left the room.  
As he walked out of the apartment building, he took in his surroundings.

The streets were busy, but not as busy as the day before.  
Then again, it was Christmas.

Most of the people probably were at the big Christmas tree in the center of New Rome or even at home right now, preparing meals or opening gifts or waiting to open gifts.  
And Nico was going to meet his admirer.

His heart leaped in his chest and he couldn't suppress a slight grin, feeling suddenly giddy.  
He was just so freaking nervous!

He knew where the park was, of course.  
He also knew he'd be at least half an hour early.  
But he just couldn't wait.

His admirer would most likely not even be there yet, but that was completely ok.  
Nico would rather be there first and wait for him than go there and have somebody wait for him – no matter who it was.

Nico walked past the bridge and entered the small park.  
It was mostly empty, next to a few couples strolling around somewhere to the left.  
Nico walked on, looking for the third bench.  
Luckily, it was empty.

For a moment, he just stood there, sighing and staring at it.  
So, this was going to be it.  
He would sit down here and wait and then his admirer would come out to him and...and he'd know.

Everything inside him seemed to practically explode with excitement, euphoria, anticipation, fear.

How would things go?  
How should he react?  
Gods, he had no clue. He'd be shocked by whoever it would be.  
He had no clue what to do.  
What would the person expect him to do?  
They'd probably talk and his admirer would explain why, what, how, etc.  
And then what?  
Would he take Nico's hand?  
Would he ask him to date him?  
Or would that be obvious?  
Would they kiss?  
Would he demand the answers to those questions?  
Would he be disappointed?  
Would he be happy?

Nico fidgeted with his hands, uncertain.  
For a moment, he was thinking of running away.  
Just hiding somewhere, probably his room, and acting as if he hadn't found the note.

But that would be mean.

Nico sighed defeated and sat down on the bench, leaning over and putting his forehead to his hands.

Gods, what was he doing here?  
How was he going to make it?

He was scared.

What if he fucked up?  
What if the person thought he didn't want him?  
What if the person changed his mind and didn't come?

Nico shook his head. This was stupid.

He felt something hard in his pocket and pulled out the Athena Parthenos.  
Only yesterday he had thought of all the things he had accomplished, deciding he could be proud of himself.  
Was he really going to be scared of meeting the person that liked him?  
Wasn't it much worse for the person, than for him?  
If he was this nervous already, how nervous must the person be?

He gazed at the figurine and turned it in his hand.  
Maybe he should have taken his flower with him.  
He could certainly do with some hope right now.

He sighed, pocketing the Athena Parthenos again and rubbing his face worriedly with both hands.

How were things going to go?  
What was he going to do?  
What was his admirer going to do?

Would he just walk up to him and say...

"Uh...hi, Nico...", came a voice and Nico looked up, surprised.

Percy stood there, hands in his pockets and face flushed slightly.

"Percy? What are you doing here?", Nico asked, frowning.

Percy pursed his lips. "I...erm...came here to meet you, actually."

Nico stared at him. How had he known where he was?  
He hadn't even met any of the three, so he hadn't shown anybody the note.

Nico frowned. "What...? How did you know I was here?"

Percy sighed. "Nico, I'd have to be very dense to not know my own meeting place."

Nico stared. "Meeting...place...?", he repeated, dazed.

What?

Percy shifted, kicking at some snow, lips pursed again. "Yep. I wrote it to you, didn't I?", he said rather curtly, as if trying to not let any emotion show.

"You...you...", Nico stammered, his mind still busy progressing what was going on.

This couldn't be.  
This was impossible.  
This couldn't possibly mean...

Percy looked at him, his gaze full of pain and sadness. "Nico, I'm sorry. I know I'm not who you expected...or wanted, for that matter. But yeah, I'm the one that wrote you those notes. I'm the admirer."

Nico's world was turned upside down.

*****

He jumped up. "You?!", he asked, shocked.

Percy looked down at the snow, looking guilty. "Yeah...I..."

"But it CAN'T be you!", Nico exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.

Percy bit his lip. "It's me..." His voice was barely audible.

"No! You...you...you're straight..."

"Gods, Nico, not that again! How dense do YOU have to be to not realize I've had a thing for you these past months?! I'm as straight as a freaking circle.", Percy exclaimed, throwing his arms up exasperated.

Nico stared at him. "W-What? But...why..."

"Because I'm an idiot. When you came out to me, telling me you had liked me and were over me now, I was shocked. Not shocked that you liked me, but that I hadn't realized. I knew I must have hurt you countless times and I just wanted to make up for it. I just wanted to be there for you because I hadn't been there for you before. But, of course, instead of being friends with you, I suddenly found myself head over heels in love with you!"

"But...but Annabeth..."

"We didn't work out, did we now? Mostly because she would keep talking about Piper and I'd keep talking about you."

"A-About me?"

Percy chuckled pained. "Of course. I wouldn't talk about anything else. Nico here, Nico there. 'Nico talked to me again today.', 'Do you think we'll be able to get over the awkwardness?', 'Hey, did you see Nico with Will earlier?', 'Do you think he likes Will?', 'Hey, was that Nico just passing the cabin with Jason?', 'Why are they so close and I'm not?', 'Gods, have you seen how Nico looks when he's fighting?', 'Hey, you can't deny Nico looks hot'. Gods, I'd drive her mad until she'd storm out the cabin red-faced. I didn't realize in the beginning, of course. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized I really...really liked you. More than a friend. A lot more than a friend. I wanted to do all sorts of things with you. Hold your hand, hug you, kiss you, make out with you. Gods, you don't want to know how many times I've wanted to just...I definitely shouldn't be talking about this.", he interrupted himself.

Nico stared at him, speechless. "But...it can't be you..."

Percy groaned exasperated and took a step towards him, cupping his face and pressing his lips onto Nico's.  
Nico's eyes widened in shock, but he found himself unable to move away.

And that's when he recognized the feeling of the kiss.  
The way Percy's lips pressed against his, softly yet determined.  
He knew that feeling.

Nico found himself closing his eyes, remembering all those nights with his admirer where he had turned his face, hoping for a kiss, just to feel those warm, soft lips on his own.  
These were the same lips.

His insides turned.  
Realization washed over him.

As Percy pulled back, Nico followed, now wrapping his arms around Percy, pulling him back down, sealing their lips once more.  
This was impossible.  
Nico could feel Percy tremble slightly into the kiss longingly and wrap his arms around his midriff, pulling him closer.  
Nico wrapped his arms tightly around his neck.

"It...it's you...", he huffed into the kiss, still unbelieving.

"Yes...", Percy breathed back against his lips and let his tongue slip into Nico's mouth.

Nico gasped and remembered the way they had tongued in the car.  
How had he not realized it sooner?

Because he had never thought it would be Percy.

He had imagined it, of course. But he had never actually thought there was even a remote chance.

They slowly ended their kiss, looking at each other breathlessly.

"You believe me now?", Percy asked quietly.

"But...you hate writing...", Nico muttered and Percy chuckled, shaking his head.

"For you I made an exception.", he whispered and pulled back slowly, letting Nico out of the embrace.

"Any more buts?", he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Nico licked over his lips, still confused. "Oh, plenty. But...but I can't believe it...I mean...you...I would have never..."

Percy looked sideways again. "Yeah...I know...I told you, didn't I? I'd be the one you least expect...least want..."

He stepped back now, giving Nico more space and looking at him with that sad expression again. "But as I said, it's ok. I came out to you as I promised. Now you know. I...I guess I'll just wish you a Merry Christmas, give you your last gift and you'll be free of me again."

Nico's eyes widened. "No! No...wait...I...I..."

But Percy only smiled pained. "It's ok, Nico. I know..."

"No! I want you!", Nico exclaimed and searched through his jeans pockets in a hurry.

Percy chuckled quietly. "Nico, it's really ok. Please, I knew you were over me already, so I expected this to happen, anyways. I just...wanted to try to make you happy..."

"No! I'm serious! I...I got the paper somewhere...wait...", he muttered, accidentally dropping the Athena Parthenos in the snow.

Percy picked it up quietly as Nico still rummaged through his pockets. Had the paper fallen out?  
Why now? He had had it all this time! He had made sure he'd have it!  
Percy held out the figurine to him, but he was too panicked to react, turning his pockets inside out. Where was it?!

"Nico..."

"No, you don't understand! I...I've never actually...I was never over you...I thought I might be, or at least that I could get over you over time, but I couldn't! And I...I wanted it to be you so badly...but I thought there was no way because you...because you hate writing, because you're straight, because I thought you'd never sit down and really think about things like this...I thought you'd never know all this stuff about me and there was no way ever that you could possibly like me whatsoever...", he admitted, his eyes tearing up.

Great. Why the hell was he crying now?!  
Percy stared at him, stunned.

"Wait...you...", Percy muttered, still stunned.

Nico pressed his lips together and shrugged helplessly. "I love you...", he whispered, tears running down his face.

Percy seemed utterly speechless for a moment.

"Really?"

Nico nodded quietly, putting his hands into the pockets of his aviator's jacket helplessly.  
That's when he felt the paper.

Of course.

He had put it in his jacket pocket so he wouldn't lose it by accident.  
He pulled it out, holding it out to Percy wordlessly.  
Percy looked down at his hand surprised, taking it from him and reading his answers.

He looked back up at Nico in disbelief, his mouth slightly open.  
Then he was with Nico again, cupping his face once more and sealing their lips.  
Nico helplessly sobbed into the kiss and leaned against him, his hands clutching Percy's jacket.

"Gods, Nico...don't cry...I love you...", Percy whispered, pulling back for a few seconds to look him deeply into his eyes before sealing their lips again.

Nico felt himself smiling and crying at the same time, a warm feeling spreading through him like Greek Fire.  
He wasn't even sure why he was crying.

Maybe because it had taken him so long to really admit his feelings out loud.  
Maybe because it was so shocking that Percy actually liked him.  
Maybe because he was so freaking happy that Percy liked him.

He had no idea.  
But he knew he wasn't really sad.  
He was rather happy.  
His insides were busily going through one rollercoaster ride after another, his heart leaping in his chest.

"I love you too...", he muttered, sighing happily into the kiss.

Percy put his hand to the back of Nico's neck, pulling him into the kiss further.

"Nico...", he breathed, entwining their tongues.

Nico huffed breathlessly and shivered, his hands still clutching Percy's front.  
This felt so good.  
His whole world was still spinning.  
He could hardly believe all this.

Percy!

Of all the people...Percy!

It was Percy!

His admirer...the person who loved him...the person who wanted to date him...  
Nico pulled back.

"D-Does that mean you'll...you'll be my...my boyfriend...?"

Percy blinked down at him for a moment, confused.  
Then his lips split into a broad grin.

"I'd love nothing more than that!", he said, leaning over and giving him another peck on the lips.

Nico couldn't suppress a grin himself.  
Everything inside him was all warm and fuzzy and confused and weird now – but in a really, really great way.

Then his stomach growled loudly.

Percy looked down on him surprised, then laughed, while Nico blushed a dark shade of red.

"Want to pick up something to eat?", Percy asked, tentatively taking Nico's hand in his own with a sheepish smile on his face.

Nico pursed his lips, inwardly squealing with giddiness at their now entwined hands.

A boyfriend!  
His boyfriend!  
Percy!  
Percy was his boyfriend!

Percy smiled at him fondly and they started strolling out the park hand in hand.  
Nico noticed how Percy was grinning like a Cheshire cat, as if he was the happiest person alive.  
His heart leaped at the thought and he found himself smiling like an idiot, as if he wanted them to match.  
Their eyes met and they both chuckled, with Percy leaning over and giving him a peck on the lips once more.

"I love you.", he said and placed another kiss on Nico's forehead.

Nico chuckled and closed his eyes at the sensation, then looked up into those sea-green eyes.  
He still couldn't believe it.

Percy.

It had been Percy.

Then he blinked. "Wait...how could it be you if you held me that night when everybody slept over?", he asked, confused.

Percy looked at him questioningly for a moment, then laughed. "Oh, that. Have you never wondered why Jason and Will suddenly laid the other way around? While you were sleeping, I moved Jason so he would hold you. That way I knew you wouldn't immediately wake up and went to get the gift and the blank note from my cabin. It wasn't easy, mind you. By the time I got back, Will had turned as well and was hogging your legs, so I pushed him sideways and tried to claim you for myself again, but Jason didn't want to give you up. It was quite a fight but in the end I found out that if I pinched his nose, he'd scram. How'd you think I knew that?"

Nico looked up at him awed. "But...why haven't you just told me you liked me?"

"Would you have believed me?", Percy asked as they started walking again, throwing him a bemused glance.

Nico sighed. "Probably not...I still can't believe it..."

Percy chuckled. "Well, we have time."

Nico's heart leaped at the 'we'.  
He felt as if he was going to explode from all this happiness inside him.

His grip on Percy's hand tightened for a moment and he noticed Percy looking down at him smiling, squeezing his hand slightly as well.  
They stopped at a bakery and Percy insisted on paying for Nico, much to Nico's dismay, for money truly was his last worry.

But Percy was hardheaded as ever, paying for his breakfast and taking him for a stroll through New Rome again, their hands still entwined, while Nico began eating his croissant.

*****

"Are you ready to see the others?", Percy asked him after a while.

Nico shrugged. "Sure. I'm surprised we haven't met them yet, to be honest."

Percy chuckled. "That's because they are with Reyna."

"Oh..." That made sense, of course.

Wait...Reyna...

"How did she take it? When you told her it was you...?"

Percy grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"Let's just say she was slightly surprised. I think she really thought it was Will. But she kind of only questioned my intentions and whether I was serious about you. She also said if I hurt you she'd kill me, but I suppose I can live with that. Because I never want to hurt you again."

He smiled at Nico fondly and Nico found himself smiling back, squeezing his hand slightly.

Then he chuckled to himself. "I feel so happy it makes me feel sick. Is that normal?"

Percy laughed. "I have no idea, but I'm feeling the same way."

They smiled at each other and then started towards where Reyna and the others would be.

"Do they know? Jason and Will, I mean?"

Percy chuckled. "I told them when I dropped them off at Reyna's. Their faces. It seems that Will had expected it to be Jason, while Jason was certain it'd be Will. It was quite funny. Though Jason collected himself first and said it made sense. He also said he preferred it being me. Will however...well, I bet he's still wailing he won't get a chance at you whatsoever ever again. Seems he was betting on Jason being gone most of the time so he could still be so close to you and maybe sneak a kiss or two – Jason didn't like that whatsoever."

Nico blinked. "Will...what?"

Percy chuckled. "You're so clueless, aren't you?"

Nico pouted, sticking out his bottom lip. That topic again?

Percy caught his expression and laughed. "Oh gods, don't give me that face, Neeks. I swore to myself I'd take it slow, but you just make me want to ravage you right now."

Nico blushed and looked around hastily, noticing relieved that there was nobody close by to really overhear them.  
Percy grinned broadly.

"I...why...you...whatever. Why is everybody calling me clueless?"

For a moment, Percy didn't reply, seemingly thinking about what he should and shouldn't say. Then he sighed.

"Nah, it's nothing, Nico. I simply think you're adorable. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I love you."

Nico blushed and smiled like an idiot again.

*****

Shortly before they got to the big house where Reyna and the others were, Nico realized he hadn't brought his gifts.  
So Percy and he had to backtrack and get them from his room, resulting in Nico rushing into the room and falling over the mattresses, instantly followed by Percy, who had still been holding his hand.

They laughed and played around and kissed and Nico had marveled at the fact that they weren't awkward around each other at all.  
Quite the contrary, it was great. They were great.  
He grinned like an idiot and grabbed the bag with the gifts, noticing Percy eyeing it wistfully.

Nico hid it behind his back. "Don't even think about it.", he said warningly.

Percy pushed out his bottom lip, putting on his baby-seal-face again.  
Nico chuckled and couldn't resist the temptation right there.  
Just once.  
He had always dreamed of doing it.  
He took a step towards Percy, taking him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him down, sealing their lips.

Percy seemed initially surprised, but then he smiled into the kiss happily and wrapped his arms around Nico.  
As they parted again, Nico looked up at Percy slightly nervous, just to notice him gazing at him dreamily, a broad smile on his face.

"I love it when you kiss me, Nico."

Nico chuckled. "Really? Want me to do it again?"

"Yes."

Nico did.

Then Percy tried to take the bag with the gifts and Nico shoved him away playfully, laughing and scolding him before they both left the building again to really go and meet the others.

*****

As they walked in the door, Reyna, Frank, Hazel, Will and Jason looked around at them.  
Percy grinned broadly and raised their entwined hands victoriously.  
Nico blushed but smiled nevertheless, unable to contain his happiness anyways.

Hazel squealed, jumping up and throwing herself at Nico, hugging him tight.

"Isn't this wonderful?", she asked without expecting an answer, moving over to Percy, holding him tight and whispering something in his ear that made him blush.

Frank only grinned and clapped them on the shoulder, while Reyna and Nico shared a mute conversation through stares.

'Is this ok with you?'

'Yes.'

'You'll be happy?'

'Yes.'

'Good. But if there's any problem...'

'Don't worry. I know I got you as backup.'

She smiled at him and he hugged her, happy to have such a great sister by heart.  
Percy grinned sheepishly and looked between them as if trying to discern what had just happened.

Then there was Will and Jason.

Will instantly started wailing, pressing Nico tightly against him with the great excuse that he wouldn't be able to do anything like this anymore from now on – which seemed to be true, because Percy interfered no minute later, shoving Will away and wrapping his arms around Nico from behind, glaring at the blonde and daring him to get closer again.

Nico could only chuckle at that.  
Jason on the other hand seemed rather quiet, collected. It was hard to tell how he was truly feeling about all this.

He congratulated them and was going to settle for just a normal hug, but Percy suddenly stormed past them after Will because he had said something Nico couldn't catch – Reyna did, however, for she followed no second later – and Jason and Nico looked after them blinking.

"Well...who'd have thought it was Percy all along...", Nico muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, I was surprised as well. Honestly, I was so sure it was Will. I wouldn't have minded, of course, but I'm still glad it was Percy in the end."

"Yeah, actually, Percy was the last one I suspected."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "So you thought it could have been me?"

Nico fidgeted, feeling guilty. "Well...sorry..."

"No need to be sorry. I'm flattered."

"Oh...you are?"

"Absolutely. I wish I could have pulled off something like this. But I couldn't make myself urge you to decide between the Camp and me."

Nico blinked. "What?"

Jason chuckled. "Nothing. I'm wishing you two the best, though. Percy better take good care of you."

"Oh, I'm sure he will.", Nico said grinning.

They both looked around to Reyna and Percy, chasing after Will, who was running around the big Christmas Tree.

"Should we go and help him?", Nico asked quietly.

"Nah, let's have him run some more."

"What did he say?"

"I have no clue. I couldn't quite catch it. Want your Christmas gift?"

Nico whipped around, all ears.

Jason chuckled. "I take that as a yes. One moment."

With that, he walked over to the tree swiftly, while Nico took out the box of brownies and the small package with the cleaning liquid for his glasses and the empty photo album.  
He just hoped Jason would like the gifts.

As Jason came back, he was holding a nicely wrapped package in blue with snowflakes and different colored ribbons.

"It's...really not that great or anything, but I thought it would be a good idea...", Jason muttered as they exchanged gifts and Nico began to carefully unwrap it.

Jason chuckled as he inspected the brownies. "Oh gods, Nico, did you make these yourself?"

Nico grinned and shrugged. "Hazel and Frank helped. I hope you'll like them..."

Jason beamed at him and took a tentative bite of one.  
He made a show of closing his eyes and sighing contently.

"Mmh, best brownies ever.", he praised him and pulled him into a hug.

Nico chuckled and returned it, now pulling out the content of his gift.  
It was a card and a beanie hat similar to the one Jason would always lend him, just in a dark grey with white markings in the shape of snowflakes on it and earflaps, as well as a big bobble on top.

Nico laughed. "Gee, thanks. Now there really won't be any cold ever coming my way again.", he grinned and put it on, showing it off and checking out the Christmas card.  
Jason grinned and opened his other gift, almost dropping the cleaning spray for his glasses.

"Really?", he chuckled and held it up, taking off his glasses to try it out.

It was so unusual to see him without glasses.  
When he put his glasses back on, he made a show of looking overly surprised.

"Oh my gods! I can see!"

Nico laughed and shoved him playfully. "Ha-ha."

Jason held up his new photo album. "We definitely have to take some more pictures, Neeks. I want tons of pictures of us in here."

Nico chuckled and looked at the card once more, taking out a smaller card that had 'Fleecy's special IM-ing Flatrate' written across it.

"Eh?"

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, I admit it's a bit selfish, but I wanted us to be able to call each other lots when I'm gone. So I had quite a talk with Fleecy and she's agreed on that little Flatrate. I've already got it covered, so with this you have a year's worth of IM-ing for free. I hope you'll call me often, Neeks.", he explained, winking.

Nico still blinked surprised.  
That was so…sweet.

Then Jason wrapped Nico in a big hug. "But seriously, thank you, Nico. Especially for the brownies."

Nico returned the hug, putting his face at Jason's crook of the neck.

"I'll miss you when you're gone.", he said quietly and Jason chuckled.

"I'll miss you even more.. But don't worry, we can always IM. And I'll make sure to visit you lots. Plus, you got Percy to take care of you now."

Nico grinned and let go of him. "Yeah."

He knew he looked like an idiot right now with his I-just-won-the-lottery-grin and his giddiness, but he didn't care.  
Jason knew him, so there was no point in pretending, anyways.  
Jason smiled back at him, patting his shoulder and looking around to Percy who was walking towards them now, eyes fixed on Nico, a broad smile on his face, a gleam in his eyes.

"Hey...", Nico said meekly, not knowing what else to say, even though he knew he didn't have to say anything.

"Hey. Nice hat.", Percy replied, grin broadening even more and taking his hand gently, looking down at him fondly.

"Jason gave it to me." Percy looked around to the blonde who had his eyes on his box with brownies, wistfully taking another one and looking up at the sound of his name, putting on an innocent face as if he was caught in the act and tried to cover it up.  
Percy and Nico chuckled.

"That good?", Percy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jason nodded. "Self-made by Nico. Of course they're awesome."

Nico blushed and Percy gaped at him, playfully shocked. "Lemme try one, too! Nico, you gotta bake me something, too~!", he wailed, trying to get one from Jason, who instinctively wrapped his arms protectively around the box and made a face.

"Never."

Nico chuckled and shook his head at these two, looking over to Reyna and Will, who came over now as well, Reyna still glaring daggers at Will while Will only grinned sheepishly and held out an orange package to Nico.

"Gift time?", he asked and Nico chuckled, pulling out his gifts for Will and they switched.

Reyna watched intently and Nico could only pray that Will didn't give him anything stupid like condoms.  
Because then he was almost certain Reyna would behead the blonde.  
But luckily, it wasn't condoms. It was massage oil.

Nico chuckled. "Really?"

"Yup. And don't forget your next massage will be from me. I'll make sure to make you-..."

Reyna raised her eyebrows and shot him a warning glance.  
He didn't finish the sentence, instead whistling innocently and winking at Nico, opening the little box he had unwrapped.

"Oh gods, this is so sweet!", he exclaimed, holding up the golden pocket watch with an awed expression.

Nico smiled sheepishly. "I thought it would come in handy because you kept asking the time back in the infirmary."

Will grinned at him. "Oh, it'll definitely be put to good use, I guarantee you that. I've been wanting one for ages, but never got around getting one. Thanks, Nico!"

And with that, he wrapped Nico in a tight hug, making Nico chuckle and wrap his arms around him as well.

"And by the way: That massage oil can also be used as lube.", Will whispered in his ear and Nico blushed.

Seriously?!

He stepped back and looked flustered around at Percy, who was now taking a tentative bite from one of Jason's brownies, looking around at him questioningly as he felt Nico's gaze.  
Nico snapped his head around again and bit his lip.

Will laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, you two got time. And he better take good care of you or I'll be taking you out of his care."

"Excuse me. I intend to take more than just good care of him, mind you. And if you dare try anything, Solace, I'll have your head.", Percy said, coming closer again and wrapping his arms around Nico from behind, noticing his flustered state.  
Nico looked up at him slightly, his face still hot.

Sex with Percy.

Oh gods.

He really shouldn't think of something like this right now.  
Percy looked down at him questioningly, then nodded towards the massage oil.

"We're gonna use that tonight?"

Will started laughing while Nico blushed a dark shade of red and started stammering something, making Percy blink surprised.  
Of course he didn't mean it like that! But that didn't mean Nico wasn't picturing things!  
Percy frowned and took the bottle out of Nico's hands, inspecting it.

Then his eyes widened and his ears turned dark red. "Oh..."

Will laughed even more.

*****

They all exchanged gifts now, sitting down on pillows on the ground in front of the Christmas tree.  
Except Nico, who was sitting on Percy's lap, making him all flustered, but in a good way.

He loved it, leaning back against Percy and feeling his arms wrap around him, soft lips against the side of his neck.

Gods, he loved this so much.  
Percy.  
Of all the people in the world.  
Percy.

Nico grinned to himself like a fool and looked around at the others, all busy with unwrapping their gifts.

Frank was utterly surprised to have gotten any gifts in general and then even more surprised to find out he had gotten three Christmas sweaters, though he did seem to like them.  
Hazel was delighted at the necklace, asking Frank to help putting it on right away.

It did look stunning. Nico had had the right idea.

She was also surprised to receive gifts from the guys, only having a pack of cookies for them each, though they didn't mind whatsoever.

If Reyna was surprised about getting gifts from Jason, Percy and Will, she didn't show it, instead unwrapping Nico's gift first and grinning at the new dagger, holding it up proudly to show him she liked it.

Though, she did say thanks to the guys for their gifts, wrapping Will's purple scarf around her and putting on the thin bracelet from Percy.  
From Jason, she received an IM-ing device, the same that Nico had. Nico looked around at Jason surprised, who only scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I knew from the way it looked that it was something Leo had made so I asked him whether he could make a few more of those...", he explained shrugging and Percy chuckled. "Yeah, that was one of my most brilliant ideas, wasn't it? He went nuts when I asked him if something like that was possible. He loved the idea and had to try it out right away. I drove him crazy when he had to explain to me how to build that thing together…"

Nico turned his head to look at him surprised.  
He still couldn't believe Percy was his admirer.  
That he'd have gone through all that work...for him.  
Their eyes met and Percy smiled fondly at him before kissing his nose softly.

"You ok?", he asked quietly and Nico smiled, snuggling back against him slightly. "Better than ok."

Percy put his chin on Nico's shoulder, grinning to himself happily, holding Nico tightly in his arms.  
They were the only ones who hadn't exchanged Christmas gifts yet.

Nico was a bit scared. What if Percy didn't like it?  
Maybe he should have looked around more stores for something better, instead of getting him that necklace.

Seriously, for all he knew it might be for girls!  
He had liked it, yes, but that didn't mean Percy would like it as well.

Percy began unwrapping his gift from Will.  
Somehow, the boys had actually given each other Christmas gifts as well, believe it or not.  
Nico glanced over to Will and Jason, who had already unwrapped their gifts.

Jason held up a superman shirt (from Will) and a fitting pair of superman boxer shorts (from Percy) and only chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief, while Will put on the ear muffs Percy and he had gotten from Jason and looked rather surprised at the new medic pouch Percy had given him.

Then Nico looked back down to Percy's hands, now holding up boxer shorts with figures from 'The Little Mermaid', chuckling quietly.

Nico chuckled as well. "I bet they'll look stunning on you, Percy.", he remarked grinning and looked sideways at Percy, who had that gleam in his eyes again.

"You'll see tonight.", he promised, making Nico blush.

"You'll sleep with me tonight?", he asked, then put his face in his hands, regretting his choice of words. "I meant...will we sleep together tonight!", he corrected himself weakly while Percy chuckled against his ear, placing a soft kiss at the side of his neck again.

"Unless you don't want me to.", he said quietly, making Nico look around at him once more.

"I do. Please...I'd...love to...", he admitted meekly and found Percy smile at him softly.

"Don't worry, Nico. I'm actually a hundred times more nervous than you right now.", he reassured him quietly when Nico began shifting uneasily, wondering whether he was making a fool of himself right now.

"You...you are? You look pretty composed to me..."

Percy winked. "All just show. Seriously, I'm so nervous and happy at the same time I feel like I'm going to burst any moment now."

Nico turned on his lap slightly, looking at him surprised.  
Percy looked completely fine to him.

Though his sea-green eyes were fixed on Nico's face, gazing at him with so much devotion and love Nico wondered how he had never realized it before.

Then Percy sighed and took his hand gently, placing it on his chest where his heart was.  
Nico blinked surprised, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.  
He looked up at Percy, who shrugged helplessly.

"I just can't believe you really want me, Nico. I thought you'd be so disappointed..."

Nico shushed him with a kiss. "You could never disappoint me, Percy. And I want you. I love you." He wasn't even blushing.

He knew this was the truth.  
He could see the others looking at them for a moment, but ignored them.  
All that mattered right now was the way Percy looked so relieved and happy, smiling at him and kissing him once more.

"Do you want your Christmas gift now?", he asked Nico quietly and Nico bit his lip. He wished he had gotten something better for Percy after all.

He shifted on his lap and took the package for Percy, passing it to him meekly.  
Percy smiled and held out a small red package with green bow.  
Nico chuckled. This was pretty much the one true proof that it really, seriously had been Percy all along.

"But, seriously, you can't tell me you wrapped these yourself.", Nico muttered as he took it, inspecting it from all sides.

Percy laughed. "Ok, you got me. I had help there. While Leo took care of all the mechanical stuff, teaching me how to do what, Calypso helped me with the wrapping of these. That's why I was so nervous when she was around. I was worried she might give me away. Luckily, she didn't."

Nico looked around at him surprised. Of course!  
And he had thought Percy might still have some left over feelings for her!  
That's why she had looked around at him so oddly, too.  
And why Leo hadn't asked a single time where he'd gotten the camera from or anything.  
He looked at the package again.

Then he blinked. "Wait, he taught you how to do what? You did them yourself?"

Percy chuckled. "Of course I did. What admirer would I be if I let other people do the work for me? Though, I admit, he did do most of the IM-ing device by himself because I simply couldn't manage to get it right – trust me I've tried. The crank is my work, though."

Nico laughed and looked at the device at his wrist.  
Seriously?

He turned his head and kissed Percy on the lips. "Thank you. Those gifts...they were really great. I loved them all."

Percy had this affectionate gleam in his eyes again, nodding towards the package in his hands.  
"You can't say that until you've opened the last one, Neeks. I really hope you'll like it..."

Nico was certain he would.  
He slowly removed the green ribbon, wondering faintly how he had never connected the green with Percy – it was actually a very similar color to his eyes.  
Percy was unwrapping his gift as well now, his chin back on Nico's shoulder, watching Nico as well as his own hands.

It was a jewelry box.  
Nico blinked, wondering whether Percy had gotten him another pair of earrings.  
He wouldn't mind, of course, though he did like the ones he had way too much to ever take them out again in his life.  
When he opened it, however, he realized it wasn't earrings.

His eyes widened for a moment, startled.

Stunned.

Speechless.

"That's...", he started, though he had no idea what to say.

It was a thin silver necklace. But what really caught his attention was the pendant.

It was a ring. Thin and silver as well, with an elegant engraving reading 'The Ghost King' on the outside and 'Nico di Angelo' on the inside.

Nico felt Percy's gaze on him, waiting for a reaction.

Nico looked around at him, stunned. "It's beautiful...", he muttered and Percy's lips split into a relieved smile. "You like it?"

"I love it."

"Thank the gods. Want me to help you put it on?"

Nico nodded and passed him the necklace, presenting him his neck.  
Percy carefully put it around Nico, kissing the side of his neck as Nico looked down at the ring once more, touching the cool silver, smiling to himself.  
It was beautiful.

Percy chuckled at the photo album as he unwrapped it and raised an eyebrow at the small box, opening it curiously.

"Aww, that's so sweet.", he muttered as he took out the small charm with the necklace.

Nico blushed, still fingering with his ring.  
Compared to Percy's gift, his seemed a bit lame.  
Percy held up the bottle, looking at the note and seashell.

"It's so pretty. How did they make it look like it's underwater?", he asked curiously, turning it in all directions and watching it shimmer in the light from the ceiling and the Christmas tree.

"I have no idea...I just thought it would suit you, because the shell...got the same color as your eyes...you know..."

Percy kissed the side of his face again. "It's beautiful. I love it. Can you help me put it on?"

Nico felt so relieved and turned around on Percy's lap, helping Percy with his necklace. It did look a bit weird, what with his Camp Half-Blood necklace around his neck as well, but other than that, it didn't look half bad.

Percy touched it gently, looking down at it with a happy smile on his face, then looked back up at Nico, grinning and rubbing their noses together.

Nico chuckled and went with it, though he felt his ears getting hot.  
But this was ok.  
Percy was his boyfriend now.

They were allowed to do things like this.

*****

After everybody had unwrapped their gifts, Nico began taking pictures again.  
Of pretty much anything and everything.

From the Christmas tree to the Holly all over the room, to the gifts, happily snapping pictures of each and everything he could find.  
Including some pictures of Percy's and his entwined hands.  
Or them kissing under the mistletoe (Hazel helped taking that picture, giggling to herself).

He took pictures of his friends, alone and in a group, with him and without him.  
He also photographed the food, as well as how everyone dug in and Percy feeding him, shaking his head at Nico not being able to put the camera down.

Nico also took some pictures of snowy New Rome from the window.  
And even more pictures of Percy and him.

Percy was glad to comply with anything Nico asked him to do, no matter how stupid it was.  
And as Nico zapped through the photos on his camera in the early evening, he noticed how he practically beamed on every single one of the pictures.

Percy was next to him, talking to Jason and Will animatedly, looking around to him every now and then.  
Nico pocketed his camera happily and tentatively reached out for his hand, touching it gently.

Percy glanced at him smiling and took it instantly, continuing his conversation.  
Nico grinned to himself, his insides all warm and fuzzy.

This was the best Christmas ever.  
He had his sister and his sister by heart.  
He had wonderful friends.  
He had not just one, but two homes.  
He had a boyfriend, a person he loved and that loved him.  
And Nico felt like the happiest person on the planet.

*****

As he collected all of the wrapping paper and put it in his bag, he noticed that the envelope for his dad was gone.  
Truth be told, he had completely forgotten about it.  
He looked around for it on the ground and the Christmas tree. Had he dropped it somewhere?  
Percy noticed something was amiss and came over.

"Everything ok?", he asked and Nico looked up helplessly.

"I can't find the card for my dad."

Percy blinked surprised for a moment. "Oh…where did you have it last? Want me to help looking?"

Nico went through his bag again and Percy joined the search.  
Where had it gone? Had he forgotten it in his room?

No, he was sure he'd put it in his bag with the other gifts, thinking he'd have to try get in touch with Hermes or borrow stamps from somebody.  
Might have done that a bit sooner.  
Well, no use crying over spilled milk.

They kept searching until Nico finally gave up, sitting next to the Christmas tree and sighing defeated.

"Whatever…it…wasn't that important anyways."

"Don't say that. I know it meant a lot to you."

"It was just a card…"

Percy flopped down next to him, rubbing his back. "I'm sure we'll find it, Nico. Even if not now, latest it will show up again is when somebody has a heart attack at finding a card saying 'Merry Christmas, Dad'."

Nico chuckled at the thought. But then he sobered up again, sighing.  
He looked up at the Christmas tree next to them, wondering whether it might not have just been better to not get the card in the first place.

It had been a dumb idea.  
Who got their godly parent a card anyways?

Especially for Christmas.

Wasn't really anything they celebrated, was it, now?  
That's when he noticed a black envelope between two twigs.

"Eh?", Nico muttered and got up, picking out the envelope.

"Where did that come from?", Percy asked, surprised and looked over his shoulder as Nico turned the envelope in his hands.

It was completely black and had an elegant handwriting in silver on the front.

_'Nico'_

Nico blinked.  
Then he opened the envelope.  
Out came a Christmas card.

'Merry Christmas, Son' was printed on it in big letters.

Nico's heart leaped. Seriously?!

He opened the card and two pictures tumbled out that he barely managed to catch.

"What the…", Percy muttered and Nico felt his hands on his sides, gazing down at the card.

Nico could barely tear his eyes away from the pictures.  
One showed his father, Persephone and Demeter sitting in the throne room, smiling somewhat.

It seemed they had actually tried to copy Nico's idea of taking a family picture together.  
He'd definitely put it in his photo album, especially because his father had tried to smile (though it looked rather creepy…).

The other picture however was the one Nico couldn't look away from.  
It was a black and white photo with four people.  
His father, his mother, Bianca and himself.  
He stared at it, unbelieving.

Percy behind him put his hands on his shoulders now and Nico forced his gaze away, looking at the message in the card.

_[Thank you for your card and the pictures, Nico._

_We wish you a Merry Christmas as well._

_I'm proud of you, son._

_And of your sister as well._

_You two did well._

_Merry Christmas,_

_Your Father_

_P.s.: Demeter said you have to eat more cereal, you still look thin and Persephone wants you to visit us in spring. You can bring your boyfriend as well._

_P.P.s.: Did it have to be the Jackson kid, though?_ ]

Nico looked around at Percy, who gazed down at him fondly.  
Yes, it had had to be that Jackson kid.

He looked back at the card and the two photos, his eyes hushing over the picture with his mother and sister.  
He had never had a picture of them.

Somehow, instead of upsetting him, the photo made him happy.  
It reminded him not of their loss, but of the time he had had with them.  
And he thought to himself that this surely had to be the best Christmas in his entire life.

He had amazing friends.  
Three homes.  
A wonderful family.  
His father was proud of him.  
And he had Percy.  
He looked around at Percy, beaming at him and wrapping his arms around him, pulling him down slightly to push his lips onto Percy's, who only chuckled and kissed back, his hands on Nico's side.  
And Nico had never been happier.

"I love you."

~The End~

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hello Cupcakes! :D  
I hope you enjoyed this little Advent Calendar.  
Finally, the mystery is solved.  
Who'd have thought it was Percy?  
I certainly didn't. But now it kind of makes sense, doesn't it?  
And all those little signs he dropped everywhere, completely unnoticed by Nico and me…  
(To those wondering when I had found out it was Percy: Yesterday's chapter ;) I can't really describe why but it just randomly hit me while writing, like 'Damn, it's Percy!')

I'm really sorry for the Solangelo/Jasico fans. I was considering writing alternative endings, but the tries broke my heart because Percy simply was the admirer, even if I didn't know myself until the end.  
When I reread the story afterwards I was surprised myself how it had been fairly obvious from the beginning, though I seriously didn't notice.  
I'm also fairly surprised everything worked out so well.  
I hope even those of you who don't support the final pairing still enjoyed the ending and that I didn't ruin your Christmas or something.

So, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and wonderful holidays (and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

I love you guys!

Thanks again for all the awesome reviews and the Fav's and the Followers :D

Free cookies for you all ;D  
(or Percico kisses for those that already had more than enough cookies)

Yes, I'm working on a sequel, can't promise when it will get done, though (I do have work to cope with as well, after all, and sometimes I can write a week nonstop just to then throw the results away because they are useless. The perks or writing, I guess?? Wish I would write my original stories with equal enthusiasm as fanfiction, though. At least I finish fanfiction...usually...*ignores the 50+ unfinished stories in fanfiction-folder*)

Hope you liked it.

Merry Christmas,  
Tári

\-----

Edit: The Sequel is up and running!!! ;D Yaaaaaay!!Finally got around to edit this in so you can find it easier and don't have to go through the trouble of looking for it.  
AO3: [Here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3661437/chapters/8092065)  
FF.net: [Here](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11156089/1/Love-Dreams-Impending-End-of-the-World-and-other-minor-problems)

Love you guys <3  
-Tári


	27. Special: Happy New Year's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3...2...1...  
> "Go!", Reyna's and Frank's voices boomed and they set the fireworks ablaze.  
> The moment Nico stepped back from his load, the boys came rushing over at him, wrapping him into one big, messy hug.  
> "HAPPY NEW YEAR!", they all three yelled and Jason held out the camera.  
> Nico was too stunned to do anything and the next moment, the flash from his camera lit up together with the sky, at least a thousand times and blinding.  
> Gods, those fireworks were beautiful though. And they could definitely tell that the whole bunch of fireworks that went off all at once was their work.  
> Nico found himself laughing as Percy pressed his lips onto his cheeks and they got some more pictures taken with the fireworks in the background.  
> Then Jason and Will wrapped him into a hug from the sides and rubbed their faces against his, making him chuckle and pull away laughing, but they only caught him once more.  
> Then Nico fled to Percy, who lifted him up as he rushed into his arms and pressed his lips onto him as they did a little turn.  
> "Nico, I love you!", he exclaimed laughing as he let Nico down.  
> Then the other two were there again and it was one big, messy hug again. Nico loved it.

**A/N** : Hey there :D Sooo, I've been debatting with my dear husband whether I should upload this as a 'New Year's Special' or the first chapter of the sequel, but we couldn't really decide, so meh, I've decided to put it up as a Special until I get some more on the sequel done, since I'm not even sure if it's gonna turn out well enough for me to dare publish it on here.  
Aaaaanyways, I hope you enjoyed the Christmas Calendar, sorry to all who didn't enjoy it because it ended in Percy/Nico.  
Thanks for reading the story and for all the Fav/Follows and of course a special thanks to all the awesome Reviews :)  
You're the best.  
I love you guys and I wish you all a happy New Year, Good Luck and Health and Wealth for 2015, may all your wishes be granted ;D  
Also, I hope you had a splendid Christmas. I sure did :D  
My family surprised me and got me the box set of Heroes of Olympus in English! (Only had the ebooks before)  
I daresay I did not behave like my age at all, hopping around like a little kid and telling everybody about PJO (even though they all already know way too much about it) but meh ;)  
So, once more:  
Happy New Year to everybody! You're the best!

*passes around blue cookies*  
Tári

* * *

**Happy New Years**

„Good morning, my Ghost king.", a voice whispered at his ear and Nico chuckled.

He really loved the way Percy woke him in the mornings.  
He started turning slightly, not even bothering to open his eyes as he searched for the lips of his boyfriend, kissing him gently.

"Morning…", he muttered, lazily opening one eye to glimpse at him, just to close it again, snuggling against Percy's chest with every intention of going back to sleep.

Percy chuckled, holding him tight and kissing the top of his head gently.

"You are so adorable, Nico.", he said quietly and Nico squinted up at him, half-heartedly trying to glare.

"I'm death. Fear me."

Percy only grinned down at him and kissed his nose. "Nah, but you'll certainly be the death of me one day."

Nico chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Do we really have to get up just yet?"

It was so nice and warm and comfortable here in bed…especially with Percy…  
Nico smiled contently, wrapping his arms around the taller boy.  
They were dating for six days already, but Nico still couldn't believe it.

Percy liked him.  
Of all the people in the world, it had been Percy to come out to him.

But not just in any way.

Percy had actually gone through the work of creating a sort of Advent calendar for Nico that had started on the 1st of December with a letter and skull earrings (which he never wanted to miss again) and ended on Christmas with Percy coming out to him as his Secret Admirer, consisting of a love note and a gift every single day from his 'secret admirer'.

Nico had been surprised, to say the least.  
Not just about Percy being the admirer (that had been utterly and completely unexpected), but also about the whole idea in general.  
He would have never expected anybody to do something like that for him.  
He had never even DREAMED of anybody doing something like that for him.

But Percy had done that for him.  
He had given Nico really great gifts and even written him notes – with his dyslexia and all.

Nico still had trouble believing this was real.  
Even after six days.  
Six beautiful days.

Percy chuckled. "We can stay like this for however long you like, Neeks."

Nico smiled to himself. "How about forever?"

Percy nuzzled his face against the side of Nico's neck. "Sounds awesome to me."

Nico felt those soft, warm lips on his skin, instinctively turning his head slightly to expose more of his neck for Percy to ravage.  
The dark-haired complied only too willingly, gently nibbling on some spots and kissing and licking over others.  
It felt so nice. Nico bit his lip as he shifted closer, entangling their legs.  
Percy sucked on the spot between Nico's neck and shoulder, causing him to huff slightly.

Truth be told, they hadn't really done…done 'that' yet.  
They had come quite close, but they both wanted to take it slow. Or at least slower.  
They had only been together for six days, after all.  
So they usually just kissed and touched and cuddled.

Just as Percy's hands started travelling down Nico's back, caressing his skin and intending to go way lower, there were hurried footsteps at the door.

They both sighed and let go of each other, just as the door got ripped open.

"Good morning! What? Still in bed? No way. Percy, hands off him. You've only been dating for six days, I will not have my Nico ravaged by the likes of you in such a short amount of time!", Will's voice sounded loudly through the room and next moment, the blonde jumped onto the bed, getting between Percy and Nico.

Percy rolled his eyes, making a face but winking at Nico nevertheless, getting up.  
Nico quietly mourned the loss, throwing a disgruntled glance towards Will as he tried to regain his cool.

He still remembered the first morning with Percy (then again, it was only five days ago, so that wasn't very difficult to remember), waking up in each other's arms, grinning like idiots and whispering 'I love you'-s at each other, when suddenly Will had stormed in, interrupting their quality time.

While Percy had been outright annoyed, Nico had been utterly flustered.  
By now, he usually only sighed and got up.

Will was such a dork.

Of course, Nico knew he didn't mean it bad.  
He just wanted to make sure they weren't rushing things.

Or maybe he just thought it fun to cockblock them.

Jason knocked on the already open door, making Nico look around.

"Morning?"

"Jason!", he called, his face lighting up.

Right after Christmas, Jason had had to go to all sorts of meetings and conferences, barely able to spend any time with them.  
Which made it all the more special when he was actually around.  
Especially since he'd have to leave soon again, this time journeying through half of the USA to meet with some minor gods.

Yeah, because gods couldn't just come up to you and talk to you about what they wanted to get changed.  
You had to come to them and prove you meant what you said (usually involving a lot of promises and deals on action figures and temples/monuments) to gain their trust and then get their corporation to sign a draft about peace and working together instead of against each other.

It was difficult work. A lot of responsibility.  
Way too much for only one person to carry.  
Nico wished he could somehow help Jason, but he had no idea how.

Jason grinned broadly at him and came over, wrapping him into a hug.  
Ah, yes. Jason still had that tick with the hugging whenever they met.

But Nico didn't mind, returning the hug. Even though he off-handedly noticed he was still only wearing pyjama pants.

"How was the meeting with Reyna and the Senators? I thought you'd only be gone for a few hours, but it ended up being the whole day again, huh?"

Jason sighed deeply, letting go of him again.  
Nico grabbed his shirt off the floor and put it on, intending to take a shower in a bit anyways, so it didn't really matter what he wore.

"Yeah, they are so hard-headed. But I think we have finally come to a decision now, so it's ok.", Jason explained and Will chuckled.

"You said that two days ago already. What makes you think they won't change their mind again?", the blonde asked and crawled out of the bed since there was no one in there anymore he could tease.

"Well, I finally convinced them to sign the contract, so I doubt they'll call another meeting like that. The only thing they can do now is to keep holding meetings to discuss my Greek/Roman thing, since I kind of did decide for the Greeks, didn't I?", Jason shrugged and Nico watched as Percy put on his pants.

Pity.

He looked quite endearing with his 'The Little Mermaid' boxer shorts.  
Percy looked up for a moment, catching him stare.  
He smirked and winked at him, making Nico blush and look back to Jason hurriedly.

Of course he shouldn't have to be embarassed about checking out his boyfriend.  
But maybe he shouldn't do it in front of his other friends.

"I just hope everything will work out in the end and you'll get all this business behind you.", Nico muttered and tried a tentative smile, though his cheeks were still burning.

"Yeah, I'll get lonely when you aren't around anymore. Nobody to help cockblocking these two. Nobody to help tease Percy. Nobody to save me from Percy...damn it all.", Will said, shaking his head, pouting.

Nico rolled his eyes.  
So Will really was trying to keep them from getting too close.  
He wasn't exactly surprised, though at the same time, he was.  
It HAD been Will after all to give Nico massage oil that could be used as lube as a christmas gift.  
You'd guess he'd want Nico to use it.

"Gee, thanks. I feel so loved. You're missing me for all the right reasons.", Jason said drily and Percy chuckled, coming over and hugging Nico from behind, placing a soft kiss on the top of his head.

Nico leaned back against him slightly, inwardly loving these small signs of affection.

"Don't worry, Jason. He's just trying to make up excuses, but in truth, he's utterly sincere about you.", he reassured him, earning him an outraged glare from Will and a chuckle from Jason.

"What? Nah, my one and only love is Nico. Sorry, Jason, but I wouldn't make a good bottom anyways."

Nico flushed and Percy chuckled, though his grip on him tightened for a moment.  
Why was Will always saying dumb stuff like that?  
Of course he didn't mean it, but still.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Erm...good? I wouldn't want to be the top to your bottom, anyways?"

Nico rolled his eyes. "Enough. I'm taking a shower.", he muttered and looked around at Percy, whose face instantly brightened up.

"I'll join-..."

"No, you won't.", Will and Jason interrupted instantly.

Nico blinked, the heat rising in his face again.

The past days, Nico had played with the thought of taking a shower together, but always pushed it out of his mind, telling himself it was still too early for that kind of intimacy.  
Though that didn't mean he wouldn't like it.  
Then again, he was a tad uncertain as to what they'd do in the shower.

The fact that his two friends interfered again left him surprised, relieved, yet also partly annoyed.  
It wasn't as if it really was any of their business.  
Percy and Nico were dating now. They were bound to do stuff like this at some point.

And now they might as well use the time they had here to enjoy the rather spacious bathroom and the privacy they most likely wouldn't have back at Camp.

"Why not?", Percy complained and Will and Jason both glared at him shaking their heads.

"Who knows what you'll do to our precious Nico in there!", Will exclaimed.

"Nothing we didn't already do last night, I suppose.", Percy muttered, making Nico stiffen and wind out of his embrace.

The two boys gaped at them.

"Percy! Seriously...you...I...ugh, I'm in the bathroom.", Nico stuttered, red in the face and hurried out of the room with his towel.

Percy chuckled behind him, but let him go.  
Seriously, that guy.  
They hadn't even done much last night.

Well, they had kissed and touched and maybe Nico's hand had become a tad adventurous, but they hadn't really let things get out of hand.

Literally.

*****

When Percy got to the bathroom half an hour later, it was still occupied.

Huh? Was Nico still in there?

He looked around in the hallway and put his ear closer to the door, but all he could hear was water running.

„Nico?", he asked and knocked timidly.

„Oh sh...Give me a minute.", came his boyfriend's voice from the other side.

Percy chuckled.  
Someone seemed to have forgotten the time.  
Not that he minded.  
Nico could take a shower all day long for all he cared.  
As long as he was in there with him, that was.

He sighed wistfully, though he knew he shouldn't push it.  
They were only dating for six days, after all.

He smiled to himself.  
Six beautiful days  
Gods, how much he loved that son of Hades.

And the best of all: Nico loved him back!

He still had a hard time believing it.

Sometimes, when Will and Jason were around, he wondered if Nico and him somehow reverted back to being just friends, but every time he began panicking whether Nico might not like one of the other two more, Nico would somehow always do something like grab his hand or turn around and kiss him, instantly reassuring him.  
Because Nico was awesome like that.

He probably didn't even realize Percy had these thoughts.  
Then again, Percy did learn how to mask his feelings and the like during the time until Christmas.

Gods, it had been SO difficult not to just stay in bed with Nico or at least tell him it was him whenever Nico had sighed so pained as if he wanted nothing more than find out already and it hurt him not knowing.  
Percy didn't want him to be hurt.  
And he certainly didn't wish to hurt him.

But those other two.  
They were the worst.

Seriously, Jason was alright, but then again, he was Jason. He kind of always was the considerate type of guy and usually stayed in the background, though he did have his possessive moments where he outwardly showed he had not given up on Nico yet.  
Somehow, Percy had to admit he felt a bit bad for Jason.  
Of course he had known Jason was head over heels for Nico, but since the blonde had never made a move, Percy had enrolled the Advent Calendar.  
It wasn't as if Percy had actually expected Nico to date him afterwards.

He had imagined it, of course. Dreamed about it whenever he closed his eyes.  
But he had really thought Nico would be disappointed it was him.  
Then again, Nico had kind of expected it to be Will, hadn't he?

Will.

Gods, that blonde annoyed the hell out of him.  
Whenever he was around, he was the loudest of them all and tended to push himself onto Nico in any way possible.  
Of course, Percy knew on the inside he was a nice guy.

He was just extremely jealous, possessive and scared.  
Yeah, Percy had realized a long time ago that Will only acted like that around Nico when they all were around for one big reason:  
He was son of Apollo, not of the big Three. He was worried Nico would fail to notice him or forget he was there, since he wasn't the all famous hero or anything.  
The fact that he was a healer and couldn't exactly train much with them (since they all kind of failed at archery) only enhanced that feeling.  
Percy would certainly feel bad for him, but the fact that Will kept outright cockblocking Percy and Nico kind of kept his pity in check.

Seriously, they were dating now.  
He wasn't going to rush things, but he didn't need Will to interrupt them whenever they had some time together.  
The offspring of Apollo would stay until VERY late at night, when Nico was way too tired to really enjoy any private time with Percy anymore, and show up VERY early in the morning, jumping into the bed and separating them.

And during the day it wasn't much better, either, what with him constantly pulling off Nico to various places, trying to keep him away from Percy.  
But at the same time, Will had given Nico lube.

Someone understand that guy.

The water shut off and he could hear someone getting out the shower and some rustling.

Oh my, he only now realized Nico would be...

The door opened and there was his boyfriend, dripping wet, a towel wrapped around his midriff hastily, looking up at him with big eyes.  
Percy couldn't suppress a broad smile, though he also couldn't stop himself from letting his eyes wander over Nico's body hungrily for a moment.  
Gods, Nico was so...there weren't even any words to describe him.

„Why, hello there, sunshine.", he muttered and watched Nico blush slightly.

Was there anything more adorable in the world?

„Erm...the shower is free now...sorry for taking so long."

Percy noticed that he still had shampoo in his hair and chuckled, reaching out.

„No problem. But, Nico?", he asked as he touched his hair gently, picking at some strands.

„Yes?"

„You still have shampoo in your hair.", Percy informed him smirking and pulled back his hand, showing him the gooey, semi-transparent fluid.

Hm, reminded him a bit of something else.  
Nico blushed a dark shade of red.  
Seemed like he was thinking of something else, too.

„Oh! Well, then...I...I guess...I'll...erm..."

Percy smiled fondly down at his boyfriend.  
He was so adorable, yet also still so uncertain.  
Percy wished he could just relax and be himself with Percy, but he knew he couldn't rush those things.  
So, instead, Percy leaned down and kissed him quickly on the lips, urging him back into the bathroom slowly.

„Want me to help you?", he asked, hoping his voice wasn't as lusty as he actually was.

But who could resist this bundle of cuteness?  
Percy took in Nico's appearance, looking for any signs he was going too far.  
But Nico only blushed harder and fidgeted the way he always did when he was nervous and didn't know what to do.

But more in the what-to-do-I-want-this-but-I'm-not-sure-whether-it's-a-good-idea-way.

Percy was SO glad he had picked up on that a month or two after hanging out with Nico.  
Sadly, so had Will, who had used every way possible to get closer to Nico that way, while Percy was simply glad if he hadn't pushed Nico away with saying something stupid.

„S-Sure...", Nico muttered and bit his lip anxiously.

Percy's heart did a double take.  
Actually, he had not expected Nico to really agree with it.

Gods, this had to be the best thing ever.

He locked the door behind him and wrapped his arms around his wet boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

„Don't worry. I won't do anything, ok?", he assured him, even though the mere thought of them in the shower together was filling his insides with want and need.

But he pushed it down.  
They had time.

Nico nodded quietly and Percy noticed how he slightly shivered.  
Well, he WAS still wet, wasn't he?

„Let's get you in the shower. I'll be right there, ok?", he said grinning, gently pushing him over to the shower before beginning to strip down himself.

He could practically feel Nico's gaze travel over him ever so quickly before hurriedly turning away.  
Percy smiled to himself. He didn't mind him checking him out at all.

He loved it.

Sadly, Nico seemed to think it was something bad, for he never dared to let his gaze linger longer than a few seconds.

Nico got in the shower and looked down at his towel, fidgeting nervously and looking around to Percy.  
Percy pointedly looked down at his boxer shorts, pulling them off as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  
Nico emitted a small sound Percy couldn't really decipher (though it sounded pretty cute).

There was more movement out of the corner of his eyes and then he saw the towel dropping next to the shower.  
Smiling to himself, he waited until he could hear the water running before looking back up.

Gods, why had he promised he wouldn't do anything?

Percy got in the shower behind him, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy as he usually did.  
He felt so nice.

This was so intimate. Percy only hoped Nico didn't think it too intimate.  
He really didn't want to push him away or force him to anything.  
Then he felt Nico leaning against him slightly and had to stop himself from sighing relieved.  
Instead, he put his face at the side of his neck and kissed it gently.

„Mmh, Nico...", he whispered as Nico instantly exposed more of his neck to him.

Gods, how badly he wanted to ravage him right now.

He could feel himself harden, but that wasn't very surprising.  
Nico WAS naked, after all.  
And, by the gods, he had a ravishing body.

Percy just wished he could openly check him out, both with his eyes as well as his hands.  
But that would most likely freak Nico out and make him so self-conscious again.

The boy turned his head sideways and looked at him timidly.  
Percy couldn't suppress a fond smile and gave him a peck on the nose, then pulled back to give him a bit more space.

„Let's get that shampoo out of your hair, then.", he said grinning and put his hands in Nico's hair.

It felt so nice and soft and wet.  
Percy loved it.

He gently started massaging his scalp, washing out the fluid and noticed how Nico sighed quietly, relaxing against his touch and closing his eyes wistfully.

Yes.  
Yes, this was exactly what he wanted.

Percy felt his heart beating loudly in his chest and hoped Nico didn't notice.  
Then again, Nico didn't even notice his other two friends were head over heels with him, not to mention them happily cockblocking them.

He tentatively got closer, putting his face close to Nico's neck again and placing kisses on the delicate skin while still massaging his head with one hand, his other hand now slowly moving down Nico's body.  
Nico shivered against the touch but didn't stop him, instead huffing wistfully, making Percy's insides burn with desire.

„Nico...", he whispered into Nico's ear as he carefully nibbled on it, luring a small gasp out of Nico.

Gods, he loved the sounds Nico made.

„P-Percy...", Nico muttered and turned his head slightly, as if hoping for a kiss.

Percy complied only too willingly, pressing their lips together and putting both his hands at the back of his head, pulling him closer.  
Nico turned around now, wrapping his arms around him.

The water was still rushing down on them, but neither cared.

„Gods, Nico...", Percy moaned dazedly as he let his tongue slide inside Nico's mouth, just to find him eagerly starting a tongue play.

This felt so amazing.  
He could feel Nico smirking into the kiss and rub their bodies against each other.  
Percy could feel something hard brushing against him and had to suppress a smirk himself, intensifying their kiss.

He was glad Nico was as affected as he was.  
He wouldn't have known what to do if this had left Nico completely cool.

As they parted to catch their breath, Percy caught Nico glancing downwards quickly, just to then blush and look away.  
Percy looked down as well.  
Well, Nico certainly was as affected as he was.  
Percy loved it.

He chuckled in a way too low and lusty voice and kissed Nico's forehead, wrapping his arms around him once more.

„I love you, Nico."

Nico visibly relaxed, a soft smile dancing on his lips at those three words.

„I love you, too.", he muttered and Percy felt a content shiver running down his back, his lips splitting into a wide smile.

He loved it when Nico said those three words.  
They were like ambrosia to him.

He gave him another peck on the lips. „Seriously, maybe we shouldn't have started making out, though. I promised I wouldn't do anything.", he muttered quietly as he was tempted to simply french kiss Nico again and let his hands travel over that luscious body of his.

Gods, he wanted him so much.

„S-Sorry...", he heard Nico utter quietly and Percy rolled his eyes.

„Nico, it's not your fault I can't resist you.", he chuckled and kissed his forehead once more.

Hopefully, Nico would gain more confidence when they dated for a while.  
He felt Nico leaning against him slightly and smiled down at him, noticing how he had closed his eyes at the kiss on the forehead.  
Percy gave him another one.

Nico's lips twitched and he opened his eyes, keeping them unusually fixed on Percy's face.  
Percy could only guess why, though he decided not to mention it.

„Do you want to get out? Or will you stay with me for a bit longer?", he asked him softly, knowing Nico would never just leave even if he wanted to.

He was fairly certain Nico would get out.  
Which was why he was so surprised when Nico hesitated slightly, fidgeting.

„W-Want me to wash your back?", he asked timidly.

Percy blinked. Really? Nico wanted to stay?  
He probably just wanted to be nice.  
Still, who was Percy to not let him be nice?

He smiled and nodded. „Sure, if you want to."

Nico's shoulders relaxed and he smiled relieved, grabbing for the shower gel.  
Percy turned his back to him, feeling a tad self-conscious, but ignored it.  
He felt Nico's hands on his back and involuntarily shivered.  
He loved it when he touched him.

It always felt so great.

Percy closed his eyes wistfully as Nico began somewhat massaging his back and felt him tracing his scars a couple of times.  
He smiled to himself and let him.

Nico always seemed so insecure and uncertain, worried of something Percy didn't figure out yet.  
It was as if he was scared to do something wrong.  
But there was no right or wrong.

Percy just wanted Nico to really do what he wanted to do.  
He felt his hands travel lower on Percy's lower back and then stop abruptly, just to hurriedly move back up to his shoulders.  
He inwardly rolled his eyes bemused.

Really?

Nico could touch him wherever he wanted, for all he cared.  
Maybe he should tell him that, though.  
He began turning slowly, facing Nico again who pursed his lips, red in the face and gazed wistfully at Percy's chest.

Oh, he knew that look.

It was that typical I-want-to-but-I'm-not-sure-whether-I-should-look.

Percy chuckled and took Nico's hands as he pulled them back, placing them back on his skin.

„You can touch me wherever and however you want, Nico.", he said quietly, watching a blush spread on the boy's face.

He was so adorable.  
And he was his.  
Percy smiled reassuringly at him as Nico bit his lip, tentatively stroking over Percy's chest.

It wasn't as if they never touched each other.  
They did that every night.

But as Percy watched Nico's face, he realized Nico must have been wanting to do this for quite a while already.  
Maybe not necessarily in the shower, though.

He gazed at Percy, examining him with both his eyes and his hands, tracing his muscles and every scar he could find, as if trying to memorize it all.  
Based on the fact that Nico usually didn't even dare to look at him closely for more than a few seconds, Percy could actually imagine him to try that.

Then Nico arrived at Percy's stomach and his gaze lingered on Percy's dick for a moment, before he hurriedly looked away and urged his hands to Percy's sides instead, his face a dark shade of red.

Percy chuckled.

He was about to say something when there was an urgent knocking on the door.

„Nico? Percy? Don't tell me you guys are in there together!", came Will's voice.

Nico looked around in alarm, instantly pulling his hands away.  
Percy groaned quietly.

Why now?

Things had been going so well.

Just great.

*****

Of course, Nico was more than flustered when his friends looked at the two of them accusingly and Percy had to endure a year's worth of glares before it was even noon.

They hadn't even done anything.  
Well, ok, they had kissed and such, but still!  
And even if they had done something, it wasn't any of their business, was it?

Percy and Nico were dating after all.  
They were bound to do stuff like that at some point.

What did those two intend to do?  
Cockblock them forever?

He watched annoyed as Nico sighed exasperated and grabbed for the hand next to him.  
Usually, that was his hand.  
This time, because Percy had been forced to walk next to Will behind them, it was Jason's.  
His mood instantly got ten times worse.

Nico looked down at the hand frowning and then up at Jason in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe he was walking next to him instead of his boyfriend.  
He also immediately pulled his hand back.  
Percy snorted satisfied and noticed Jason looking around at Nico rather disappointed.

Hey! Hands off my boyfriend!

Percy's nose twitched annoyed.  
Jason had decided himself that he wouldn't come out to Nico because he supposedly didn't wish to force Nico to decide between the Camp and him.  
Percy understood that, obviously.  
He was certain he wouldn't have come out to Nico either under those circumstances.

Jason would be gone most of the time and Nico had only just acknowledged Camp Half-Blood as his home.  
It would either mean he'd be at the mercy of Percy and Will, barely seeing his boyfriend; or leaving his only just found home behind to travel around the world with him.  
Good thing Percy didn't have such problems.

Then again, he would be utterly unsuitable for the job in the first place.  
He could never do what Jason was doing, with trying to get permanent peace and all.  
And Percy would also gladly throw everything away just to be with Nico.  
Which might not be so good in this case.

Still, Jason had decided not to come out to Nico.  
So he better stayed away from him.

Will said something to him but he wasn't listening, his eyes glued to Nico's back.  
He was wearing his aviator's jacket and black skinny jeans, his hair in a ponytail again.  
He loved seeing Nico in a ponytail.

It made him look older and more mature, yet whenever he blushed he looked a thousand times more adorable.

And gods, did anybody ever look at that butt?  
How could people resist that?  
How could Percy have resisted it for so long?

„Hey, stop ravaging Nico with your eyes! We're outside. Show some manners.", Will hissed and Percy made a face.

„Excuse me? I'm perfectly allowed to check out my boyfriend, mind you."

Nico looked around surprise, a faint blush on his cheeks. „What?"

„He was SO staring at your butt, Neeks.", Will immediately told him and Percy scowled.

To his surprise, so did Nico.

„So? As long as he likes the view."

Oh gods, did Percy ever mention how much he loved this guy?  
He could be the most adorable person in the world, melting one's heart away with cuteness.  
And then he had these wonderful moments where he pretty much shocked anyone and everyone with saying things nobody expected poor, innocent Nico to say.

Moments like this.

Jason looked around at him surprised, while Will openly gaped at him.

Nico on the other hand ignored them both and looked over to Percy, who only gave him a suggestive smile. „Oh, you bet I do."

Nico blushed slightly and turned away again, but Percy was more than satisfied.

Even if he couldn't hold Nico's hand, at least he was able to stare at his butt the whole way, letting his phantasy run wild, till they reached Reyna, Hazel and Frank in front of the small restaurant they'd eat lunch in.

*****

In the afternoon, they met with Annabeth and Piper, who had arrived shortly before to celebrate New Year's Eve in New Rome.

Nico could only guess it was because they were thinking about moving here to finsih college (and to live together, since they both had full cabins and could barely spend any time alone together).  
His grip on Percy's hand tightened for a moment and he cherished the fact that it actually was Percy's hand this time.

He still remembered his fiasco earlier.

Seriously, he was so used to Percy walking next to him that he hadn't thought for a moment, just grabbing for his hand.  
The hand he had grabbed had felt slightly different, though.  
It hadn't taken his in that usual glad, gentle way, but hesitantly, as if wondering whether this was a good idea.

He remembered frowning and looking around, just to see Jason walking next to him.

One could imagine his shock.

He had immediately pulled his hand back immediately, but he was still feeling guilty about the whole thing.

But why did the boys have to act like that, anyways?  
Why did they have to make such a big deal out of everything Percy and Nico did?  
And why were they being punished like this just for taking a shower together?

He sighed and felt Percy tugging his hand upwards as Annabeth and Piper came over to them.  
Looking around at Percy, he saw a proud and victorious gleam in his eyes.

Annabeth and Piper laughed, shaking their heads and clapping.

„About time, Seaweed Brain. So, he liked your gifts?", Annabeth guessed and Nico realized with a jolt she must have known about Percy being his admirer.

It had never really occurred to him before.  
He wondered vaguely how it must feel, though, to have one's ex-boyfriend try so hard for somebody else when he barely even remembered their first anniversary.  
Yes, he knew that story.

It also made him wonder vaguely whether Percy was going to remember their own anniversary.  
The thought of being with Percy for a whole month made Nico all fuzzy inside.

Of course, that was stupid, but he couldn't help it, ok?

„Yeah, I loved them. Though Percy really didn't have to go through all that trouble..."

„Yes. Yes, I did have to.", Percy instantly interrupted him, wrapping his arms around him from behind and putting his chin on top of Nico's head.

He sighed, rolling his eyes, but a smile tugged on his lips nevertheless.  
Piper and Annabeth threw each other meaningful glances and grinned at them.

„Yeah, he did. If he hadn't, I'd have never let him at Neeks.", Will commented sulkily next to them.

Nico turned his head sideways towards him, while Percy only sighed.

„Well, I kind of doubt you'd have had much influence on that, but if you're so unhappy, maybe you should have wooed him first. If I'm not mistaken, you had 25 days to win Nico over for yourself.", Annabeth deadpanned and for a moment, there was silence.

Then Nico chuckled. „Rubbish. Will doesn't think of me like that."

Will gave him an exasperated glance and then looked at Annabeth with a sort of 'See what I mean?'-face, while Jason just sighed quietly and Percy shook his head, hiding his nose in Nico's hair.  
Piper raised her eyebrows, but didn't say a word.

Annabeth laughed. „Oh, I see. Well, if you think so, Nico. Let's go grab a bite to eat, I'm starving. How about you, babe?"

Piper threw her a dazzling smile and put an arm around her waist. „Famished. Though I'd much rather eat you."

Nico blushed and turned his face upwards to catch Percy looking down at him with a rather hungry expression on his face, too.  
Flustered, he turned away again.

Nico was so wonderfully clueless.  
Percy almost felt bad for the other two.

They had both kissed him and both made it painfully obviously they liked him, yet Nico still insisted all they wanted was friendship.  
Talk about friendzoning.

Though, of course, he was somewhat glad about it, too.  
Percy didn't really want to admit it, but he was a bit scared.  
If the other two did decide to come out to Nico, what would happen?  
Would Nico stay with him?

He knew Nico had had a crush on him and he knew Nico liked him.  
But he also knew Nico was just glad to have somebody to love him.  
What if he realized the other two loved him as well?  
Would he wonder how it would be to go out with them instead?

He still remembered the answers to those questions he had asked 6 days ago.

Nico had wanted it to be him.  
He shouldn't think of things like this now.

Still, he also remembered that Nico had expected it to be Will.  
And he'd have said yes.

Jason was the one who was suuposed to be able to make Nico the happiest.  
And he'd have said yes.

Percy's insides churned, but he pushed the jealousy down.  
It was understandable.

Percy had hurt Nico a great deal with being oblivious to his feelings and all, and not just over a few months, but for years.  
Jason on the other hand had taken a liking to Nico fairly fast and had been there for him when he needed him, comforting and reassuring him.  
It was to be expected that Nico would feel the most comfortable and happy with the blonde.

But would Nico leave Percy for him?  
If he knew Jason loved him, would Nico want him more than Percy?

He shook his head slightly, trying to shake off those thoughts.  
Of course, it didn't work.

His grip on Nico's hand tightened for a moment, as if he wanted to make sure Nico was still there with him.  
This was stupid.  
He really shouldn't think like that.

Nico looked around, instantly noticing something was amiss.

„You ok?", he asked barely audible, shifting closer slightly as they sat in the small café with the others.

Percy nodded quickly and smiled, but Nico seemed unconvinced.

„I was just...thinking...", Percy explained and tried another tentative smile, leaning over to kiss Nico's forehead.

But Nico pushed himself up and their lips met instead.

„Don't worry, I'm sure the other two won't play cockblocks forever."

At that, Percy had to laugh.  
He simply couldn't help himself.  
It was completely not what he had been thinking about, but it was still so sweet of Nico to think it was.

Trust him to be worried Percy was worried about that.  
The others looked around at him, but he completely didn't care.

„It's ok, Nico. As long as I'm able to call you my boyfriend, I don't give a damn how long I have to wait to ravage you. It'll definitely be worth the wait."

At that, Nico had the most adorable blush on his face, making Percy sigh contently and lean over, pressing their lips together again.  
He loved Nico's flushed face.

And damn, he loved those kisses even more.  
As they parted, he noticed that Jason was staring the table to death again.

Oops, maybe he shouldn't be doing this in front of them.  
It was kind of mean.

He looked over to Will, who was glaring daggers at him and then looked rather worriedly towards Jason.  
Percy looked back down at Nico, who was just sipping his hot cocoa.  
He smiled at him fondly, putting his arm around the smaller boy tentatively.

He'd be a bit more considerate of the guys.  
But only by a bit.

Because he loved Nico way too much not to go touchy feely on him every now and then.

It was their own fault for always sticking around.  
If they gave the two more privacy, Percy might consider stopping.

Annabeth and Piper both looked at him with raised eyebrows, then pointedly looked towards the guys, as if trying to have a mute conversation with him.  
He just shrugged slightly and poked Nico's shoulder with his free hand, looking wistfully at his drink.

Nico only grinned and let him try it.

Wah, so sweet.

He loved it.

Then he took a sip of his own cocoa that was practically the absolute same thing, but to him, it tasted completely different.

Then again, the other one belonged to his Nico and his Nico had drunk from it, so obviously it was a thousand times better.

*****

After lunch with the girls, their ways parted. While Annabeth and Piper walked off hand in hand towards the apartment where they'd be staying, the boys made their way through some stores to pick up the last necessities for tonight.

Which was to say snacks, fireworks, more snacks, even more fireworks and some smaller stuff to blow up when the time came.  
By the looks of it, Percy was certain they'd make the Greeks proud.

He had no clue how the Romans would celebrate New Year's, but he was fairly sure everything would be well organized with timed fireworks and whatnot.  
Well, they would probably ruin the show with causing utter havoc.

He watched as Jason pointed out something to Nico and the two put their heads together, staring at some weird object.  
Then they both laughed and Nico shoved Jason away playfully, while Jason only grinned broadly at him and put whatever it had been back down.

It was good to see Nico laugh.  
Percy loved his laugh.  
He just wished he could make Nico laugh like that, too.

He sighed, looking around at Will who was also watching the two quietly, but glared at him as soon as he noticed his glance.  
Percy only rolled his eyes and looked back to Nico, who now came walking towards him, smiling tentatively.

"Hey."

Percy chuckled. Nico really was the cutest.

"Hey.", Percy muttered and they smiled at each other like idiots.

Then Nico pointed at Percy's shopping bag.

"We got quite a few fireworks, don't we? Think we can use them all?"

"Oh, I'll make sure we will. I just hope the boys will allow us to lie down a bit, because else I can see both of us utterly dead tomorrow."

Nico chuckled and looked over to Will and Jason, standing together in front of the drinks.

"I don't doubt they'll want us to lie down. I simply doubt they'll leave us alone."

"Another sleepover?", Percy groaned.

The boys had already succeeded twice in even taking away their quality time at night with staying over and demanding to sleep in Nico's room as well.  
Well, once it had been Jason and Will.

The other time, Jason had been busy until late at night and Will had stayed over, saying he'd leave when Jason came back – and then fallen asleep between Nico and Percy.  
Percy wasn't sure how Nico felt about that, but it had peeved him quite a bit.  
He seriously just wanted to take both of them aside and have a talk with them, but at the same time, he knew how much they meant to Nico and how much Nico meant to them.  
So he usually only complained loudly but didn't do anything.

He was only dating Nico for six days now, after all.  
If things were still like this in a few months, then he'd probably really say something, though.

"Well, we can always kick them out if it really gets too much...", Nico offered, though he shuffled slightly and Percy had the impression he'd rather not resort to that.

He chuckled. "Nah, it's fine. But this time they sleep on the floor. I'm not sharing you with them."

Because when both of them had slept over, they had kept Nico all to themselves, not allowing Percy to get close.

His main problem was Will.  
He was pushy and he wasted no time hitting on Nico.

Jason might be who Nico liked more, but he wasn't as obvious and straight-forward.  
Percy could tolerate him.

But Will – absolutely not.  
Sadly, it was Will whom he'd have to endure much longer than Jason.

The two guys in question came strolling over, discussing different ways of celebrating New Year's Eve from all over the world and they made their way back to their appartment block together.

*****

As expected, the two didn't leave Nico and Percy alone whatsoever.

"Ok, this is it. Jason, switch places with me.", Percy ordered and Nico looked around.

They were on his bed, watching film on the small portable TV Hazel had lent Nico.  
And since Will had made such a fuss, Nico had been put on the left, Jason next to him, then Percy and then Will.  
Nico was surprised how long Percy had kept quiet about it.

He was surprised that Percy was rather calm about the behavior of the two in general.  
Nico knew he was jealous, he could easily tell by the way he kept eyeing them suspiciously whenever they took Nico aside or anything, but he never said a word and only did the usual bit of complaining whenever they interrupted their time alone.  
He partly wished he could show Percy he really loved him, though.

Of course he had somewhat developed feelings for Jason and Will as well, but he really loved Percy.  
He would never cheat on him or anything.

Then again, it wasn't as if his friends truly thought of him that way in the first place.  
OK, they had kissed, but Nico wasn't going to interpret too much into that.

Plus, he was with Percy now.  
Even if in some weird otherworldly universe-type of thing one of his other two friends would come out to him, he'd be flattered, of course, but he'd stay with Percy.  
Percy had done a hell lot for him, even if he was still trying to make up for the years he hadn't been there for Nico.

But all that really mattered to Nico was that he was here now.

The complaining next to him was loud and rather annoying, though.

Jason didn't even say much, but Will said twice as much therefore, as if to make up for it.  
Nico cleared his throat and, for a moment, there was silence.

"I just love how you all bicker about who is allowed to sit next to me and who isn't, but none of you get the idea to ask me whom I want to sit next to."

Will groaned. "Fine."

He didn't look happy whatsoever but let go of Percy's arm nevertheless.  
Jason moved to the side, making space for Percy.  
Percy however didn't move, still kneeling where he was and looking at Nico.

"So...who do you want to sit next to you?", he asked quietly and the other two looked around at Nico surprised.

Nico smirked. "Hm...can you all get back to how you were before?"

Percy had half expected it, it seemed, pressing his lips together and shifting. He flopped back down between Jason and Will who exchanged confused glances.  
Nico chuckled and began moving himself.  
Next moment, he crawled over Jason and onto Percy's lap, catching him looking rather surprised.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me you really thought I don't want to be close to my own boyfriend.", Nico said unbelieving and snuggled back against him slightly.

Percy wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled his face against the side of his neck.  
Nico could practically feel his smile and that relieved sigh.

Jason and Will still looked at him stunned.

"What? I thought this would be a nicer solution to the problem than upsetting Will or pushing Jason away again. I do enjoy your company, you know.", Nico muttered, grabbing for the popcorn-bowl and placing it on his own lap above the blanket.

He had a slightly bad mood, so he was unusually talk-active.

Then again, he just wanted to snuggle up with Percy and kiss and make out (not that he'd ever tell Percy that, though) which he couldn't because those two would stop them with any means possible.

He felt Jason coming closer from the side and wondered vaguely if Percy would do anything. He didn't. Instead, he even moved his face to the other side of Nico's neck to permit Jason to lean against them slightly and take some popcorn.  
Will surprisingly stayed away, just looking at Nico every now and then and taking some popcorn, though making sure they didn't even as much as brush against each other.

Nico frowned.

Weird.

Percy shifted slightly and Nico turned his head to look at him.  
But Percy had his eyes on Will, who wasn't even looking at the screen anymore, instead staring at his hands.  
Nico's hand found Percy's arm and he squeezed slightly, making Percy look down at him.

They exchanged a long glance.  
Then Percy sighed and pulled his arms away from around Nico.

"You are the worst, Solace.", he muttered, grabbing the blonde and pulling him over so he was pressed against Nico's side.

"W-What...", Will stammered, utterly surprised, while Jason only grinned and shifted closer as well from the other side.

Nico chuckled and lifted his blanket slightly to permit them under it as well.

Percy only sighed and nibbled at his neck slightly. "I can't believe I'm letting this happen.", he muttered against Nico's ear and Nico turned his head slightly, giving him a kiss.

"Me neither. This is so weird."

For once, Will didn't pull a comment, instead only looking around at Nico with an indefinable gleam in his eyes.  
Jason was busy exchanging some sort of mute conversation with Percy.

Nico didn't even try to understand them, instead focusing back on the TV, though he had no idea what they were watching.  
This felt surprisingly nice.

Though he would never say that out loud.

He didn't want Percy to worry or feel bad, after all.

*****

Hours later, Jason and Will both half laid on Nico's lap fast asleep, with Nico gently stroking through their hair.

Jason had fallen asleep first, which hadn't surprised anyone.  
It was pretty tough on him right now, after all.

Will had soon followed, leaving Percy and Nico the only ones awake.  
Percy nuzzled his face against Nico's neck again, gently nibbling.

"You want to go to sleep as well? We still have some hours.", he heard him ask and shrugged.

"We could. But you said you don't want to share the bed with them."

Percy sighed. "Well, they're already asleep, so I might as well make an exception this time."

Nico chuckled and turned his head to capture Percy's lips in a kiss.  
He was so freaking tired.

Percy kissed back, his hands cupping Nico's face and pulling him closer, forcing Will and Jason to move off Nico's lap.  
Nico began turning around, huffing slightly as Percy's tongue licked against his lips.

"Percy...", he breathed and Percy moaned as they started their tongue play, his hands running up and down Nico's back, settling on his sides and pulling him onto his lap correctly.

Nico's legs wrapped themselves around Percy's waist and he threw his arms around his boyfriends neck.  
Gods, this felt so good.

They pulled apart to catch their breath and Nico looked into those dazed lust-filled sea-green eyes, getting lost in them.

"I love you, Nico."

Nico's lips split into a wide smile. "I love you too, Percy."

They kissed again.  
Percy's hands started becoming more adventurous, sliding beneath Nico's shirt and over his bare skin, making him shiver slightly.  
His own hands were firmly at the back of Percy's head, keeping their faces together and their lips connected, tongues sliding in and out of each other's mouths.

"Gods, Nico...", Percy moaned and his hands slid over Nico's chest to his nipples, teasing him.

Nico gasped at the odd sensation.

Yes.

He felt something hard pushing up against him from Percy's pants and couldn't suppress a small chuckle. "W-We shouldn't be doing this..."

"I know.", Percy huffed as his lips kissed down to Nico's neck, gently nibbling and sucking on his skin.

Nico tilted his head sideways only too willingly.  
Percy's hands travelled lower now, over Nico's stomach to his pants.  
He hesitated for a moment, then began unbuckling Nico's belt.

Nico wished he could say he froze or that he stopped him in any way.  
He didn't.

Instead, he inched closer to Percy even more, rubbing his body against his boyfriend, feeling a need rise within him he had never felt before.

"Nico...", Percy breathed and Nico noticed he must have closed his eyes at some point.

He opened them slowly, gazing at Percy's beautiful face.  
Then Percy's hand slipped inside Nico's pants and touched his hard-on.

Nico shivered and had a hard time suppressing the moan that badly wanted to escape his lips.  
He let his head drop forward onto Percy's shoulder, where he stayed, his arms helplessly wrapped around Percy.

"P-Percy...ah..."

Percy trembled at the sound of his voice and his hand began freeing Nico's dick from its confinement, while the other hand was firmly wrapped around it, pumping him.  
Nico bit his lip. Oh gods, that felt so amazing.  
Much better than touching himself.

"W-We really...ah...sh-shouldn't...", he stammered, having to stop every some seconds to take a deep breath as to keep himself from moaning out loud.

Percy halted for a moment. "Do you want me to stop?", he asked barely audible.

He pulled his hand slightly back and Nico instantly whined, thrusting his hips towards Percy a bit. "N-No! Please..."

Gods, what the hell was happening to him?  
He couldn't do something like that!

Percy gasped and wrapped his hand around him again, resuming his pumping.  
Nico shivered again and tried all he could to keep quiet.

He felt Percy move and lifted his head, searching for his lips blindly as his eyes were closed in absolute bliss.  
Percy pressed his lips onto him, making him huff and moan quietly even more with his skilled tongue.  
Percy's hand now concentrated on Nico's tip, making him scrunch up his face as he tried not to make a sound.

It was a losing battle.

Percy was at his neck again, sucking on the soft spot between neck and shoulder.

"P-Percy!" He practically pleaded, though he wasn't sure for what.

Percy pulled back, connecting their foreheads and looking him deep in the eyes.

"I love you, Nico."

Nico trembled, a moan escaping his lips as he fell against Percy, arms uselessly holding onto him for dear life as his dick was more than ready to burst.

That voice.

Why was Percy's voice so damn sexy?

Percy urged their lips together, but Nico was too much of a mess to really focus, his whole body shivering and shaking, his hips helplessly thrusting into Percy's hand.  
Percy had his eyes intently on Nico's face as he quickened his pumping, ending each stroke with a squeeze at the tip that made Nico see stars and gasp loudly.

Then he simply couldn't take it anymore.

"Cum for me, Nico."

He let his head fall forwards onto Percy's shoulder again with a thump and groaned shamelessly, his orgasm hitting him full-force.

Oh gods.

It was like a tidal wave of pleasure and bliss.  
He let himself get swept away, feeling cum squirting out of his dick, coating Percy's hand.  
Panting and huffing helplessly, he still clung to Percy, his face against his neck.  
This had to have been the best orgasm in his life.

He wanted to move, wanted to grab Percy and kiss him, but he found himself unable to, instead trying to catch his breath futilely as he hung over Percy like a bag of potatoes.  
But Percy didn't seem to mind, instead kissing his shoulder gently where his shirt had moved, exposing the pale skin beneath.

"You liked that?", he asked gently, pulling his hand back from Nico's dick and kissing the side of Nico's face he could get to.

Nico nodded weakly. "That...that was...it was..."

He couldn't find any words.  
Percy chuckled quietly and Nico could feel him shift slightly, grabbing for something on the nightstand.

He noticed faintly how Percy began cleaning up a bit with a couple of tissues and instantly felt bad for having him do that.  
But as he tried to move, Percy's other arm firmly held him in place.

"Catch your breath first, Sexy."

Nico blushed at the nickname, but complied nevertheless.  
He was still feeling slightly dizzy.

But at least the tingly sensation in his body started to subside slowly, allowing him to lift his head and look at his boyfriend.  
Percy had this utterly content gleam in his eyes, smiling at him as if Nico had fulfilled one of his biggest wishes.

Then Nico kissed him softly. "I love you."

Percy's lips split into a grin. "I love you too, Neeks. Bathroom?"

Nico looked down at himself and made a face.

"Bathroom."

*****

Somehow, Jason and Will had completely slept through the whole thing, much to Percy's relief.  
He didn't want to know what they'd have done if they had woken up to finding Percy giving Nico that handjob.  
But luckily, he didn't have to find out either.

He hummed contently as they walked through the streets of New Rome, Nico holding onto his hand while the other two were bickering behind him about how the film had ended.

They had noticed Percy's absolutely splendid mood and Nico's still slightly flustered state, but had seemingly brushed it off as something minor.

If only they knew.

Percy glanced sideways at Nico.  
He could still remember that flustered, flushed face of his as he moaned his name and tried to push down all those other sounds.  
Gods, just thinking about it made his pants annoyingly tight again.

It had been quite some work to cool himself down back then already.  
Though he hadn't let it show.  
He didn't want Nico to feel bad or anything.

Percy had loved every moment of it, after all.  
Especially Nico's face.

Suddenly, Will jumped up next to him and grinned broadly.

"It's almost 11:30pm! Half an hour to go!", he said excitedly to both of them and Jason popped up as well, chuckling.

Percy once again noted how Will's behavior around him had obviously changed from earlier.  
He didn't push himself onto Nico anymore, nor was he glaring at Percy with outright dislike anymore.

Even though they were holding hands.

Could this all be because he had pulled him into their cuddle-session?  
He still didn't know what to think of that.

When Nico had said they should stay the way they were, Percy had obviously been hurt.  
But at the same time, he hadn't even really been surprised, expecting Nico to wish to stay next to Jason because he kept him the calmest.  
It was hurtful, yes, but the most important thing was that Nico was happy.

So when Nico had suddenly flopped down on his lap, Percy had been more than surprised, though in a really good way.  
And then the faces of the guys.  
He would have expected them to start bickering again or the like.

But Jason had actually gotten closer.  
To him.  
Not just to Nico.  
To HIM as well.

He knew Will had wanted to come closer as well, had caught the wistful glances at Nico.  
But Will hadn't.  
Percy wasn't sure whether he would have let him, either.  
But when he had seen Will so upset, so outright hurt and vulnerable, he couldn't deny he had been tempted to pull him in already.

And then Nico had noticed too and had given him that look.  
Gods, Nico could really make him do anything, huh?

So he had let Will close to his Nico, wondering if he was going to regret it.  
But he hadn't.  
Will had snuggled closer to them, but without pushing himself onto Nico and just seemed happy and content for once.

He sighed, grabbing Nico's hand tighter, making him look around questioning.

"Let's fire at least one whole bag in one go. That's going to be one awesome way to celebrate the New Year.", Percy announced and the three chuckled.

Jason and Will switched places and while Jason clapped Percy on the shoulder grinning, Will wrapped an arm around Nico's neck.

And thus, the four of them made their way through the cold towards the exit, since Terminus didn't allow any fireworks inside New Rome for security reasons.

*****

"Only five minutes left!", Will muttered excitedly next to Nico.

Nico smiled and watched bemused as Percy and Jason hurried around in front of them, sticking fireworks into the snow and talking over some sort of plan they had.  
Those two dorks.  
Who'd have guessed that Jason could be as much of a kid as Percy?

Nico chuckled as they banged their heads together at the last one.

Surprisingly, both turned towards him, wailing, which only made him laugh out loud.  
Will chuckled next to him as well and went to help them, grabbing one of the lighters they had.  
Nico fingered for the one Percy had given him.

He looked around to the others.

Piper and Annabeth were standing some few feet away, arms around each other and seemingly talking in hushed voices, while Hazel stood by Frank's side proudly as he and Reyna gave orders to the other Campers.

He looked back down at the time.

Two minutes.

Nico looked back at the guys.  
Wait, why did they have his camera?  
And why did they all have their heads together, talking in hushed voices?  
Wait...why were they looking at him like that?

Nico made a face.

"What are you planning?", he asked and all three of them put on innocent smiles.

Suspicious.  
Nico narrowed his eyes, watching them defiantly.  
This better not be anything bad.  
Then again, he was in a relationship with Percy now.  
They weren't going to try anything stupid, right?

"Nico, get over here! We all need to start firing them at the same time!", Percy called and Nico sighed, checking the time once more.

One minute.

He hurried over to the bunch of fireworks he was supposed to fire off.  
Percy and the other two grinned at him, Jason still with Nico's camera in his hands.  
Well, maybe he was going to try take pictures of the fireworks?  
He wondered vaguely if his camera could even do that.

"Ok, ok, get ready, get ready.", Will exclaimed in an excited sing-song voice, nervously fidgeting with his lighter.

Percy looked around at Nico. "Ready?"

Nico nodded and looked over at Jason, who also neared the fireworks.

Then the countdown started.

10...9...8...7...6...

Nico watched out of the corner of his eyes as Percy pressed his lips tightly together, concentration written all over his face, his eyes set on the little flame in his hands.  
He looked so adorable.  
Nico concentrated on his own hand, turning on the lighter and nearing his fireworks.

5...4...

The four of them took a deep breath at the same time.

3...

2...

1...

"Go!", Reyna's and Frank's voices boomed and they set the fireworks ablaze.

The moment Nico stepped back from his load, the boys came rushing over at him, wrapping him into one big, messy hug.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!", they all three yelled and Jason held out the camera.

Nico was too stunned to do anything and the next moment, the flash from his camera lit up together with the sky, at least a thousand times and blinding.  
Gods, those fireworks were beautiful though.  
And they could definitely tell that the whole bunch of fireworks that went off all at once was their work.

Nico found himself laughing as Percy pressed his lips onto his cheeks and they got some more pictures taken with the fireworks in the background.  
Then Jason and Will wrapped him into a hug from the sides and rubbed their faces against his, making him chuckle and pull away laughing, but they only caught him once more.  
Then Nico fled to Percy, who lifted him up as he rushed into his arms and pressed his lips onto him as they did a little turn.

"Nico, I love you!", he exclaimed laughing as he let Nico down.

Then the other two were there again and it was one big, messy hug again.

Nico loved it.

*****

They spend the rest of the night until 5am in the morning with firing more fireworks and admiring the controlled fireworks of the rest of Camp Jupiter.

All the firing times were timed and the colors and explosions calculated and assorted perfectly, whereas their fireworks turned into a big loud BOOM followed by tons of colors and glitters and more booms.

They loved it, drinking different drinks (all non-alcoholic, though they were so drunk with joy that they didn't need any in the first place), eating all sorts of snacks from their own assortment or other people's and just laughing, showering each other in snow or playing tag.

By 5am in the morning, though, Percy looked around to see Nico flop into the snow exhausted and laughed, tottering over to him and falling down next to him.  
Nico chuckled.

"I swear, I am so done for.", he muttered and turned sideways to look at Percy.

Percy only grinned broadly.  
Then Nico leaned over and half laid down on Percy, moaning and burying his face in Percy's chest.

"I'm so tried..."

Percy laughed and put his hand in Nico's hair.

"Want to go back? We could snuggle up in bed together and..."

"...make out?", Nico muttered and Percy wondered if that was a hint of hopefulness he was hearing.

"I was going to say 'sleep the rest of the day', but..."

"Oh...nevermind then..."

"But making out sounds even better.", Percy finished and Nico lifted his head, looking at him with those beautiful, dark eyes.

Percy moved and kissed his nose. "I love you, my Ghost King."

Nico smiled that beautiful smile of his again.  
Gods, how much he loved that smile.

"I love you too, Percy."

Then they kissed.  
It was a slow, sensual kiss.

And Percy forgot the world around him.

His mind was absolutely blank, his hands moving on their own, cupping Nico's face.  
They were still lying in the snow, but now Percy began pushing himself up slightly while Nico straddled his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck.

Had he ever mentioned how much he loved this boy?  
He felt Nico lick over his bottom lip and stiffened for a moment, euphoria rushing through him.  
This was the first time Nico actually initiated a tongue kiss himself.  
He immediately let him, his hands now on Nico's hips, holding him tightly pressed against him.  
Nico was cautious at first, tentatively letting his tongue slide inside and explore.

Percy loved it.

His insides were utterly on fire, all the exhaustion gone, replaced with euphoria and pleasure and bliss.  
Nico started to challenge his tongue and Percy moaned into the kiss quietly.

Gods, yes.

Believe it or not, Nico actually managed to beat Percy, dominating his mouth.  
And Percy had never been more turned on.

Forget cute Nico. Forget sexy Nico. Dominant Nico all the way.

Nico's whole demeanor seemed to change.  
His hands started travelling down Percy's body, not timidly like before, but rather determined, opening Percy's jacket and slipping beneath his sweater.  
Percy shivered as his cool hands started stroking over his naked skin, noticing how his own hands had moved up to the back of Nico's head again, keeping them together.

He would have never guessed he'd enjoy being touched like this so much.  
They broke apart, both in desperate need for air.

"Gods, Nico...you're...you're...", Percy started, panting and huffing, cupping Nico's face as Nico looked at him with the most seductive face Percy had ever seen and smiled at him.

"Told you he'd make a hot top.", Will said next to them drily and they shot apart, startled.

Percy had completely forgotten they were still outside, with everybody around him.  
Will and Jason stood there, watching them with an expression Percy couldn't really decipher.  
He instantly felt guilty, wondering how long he and Nico had been making out and whether they had watched from beginning on.

But they didn't seem particularly upset. It wasn't resigned either, though.  
He looked around at Nico, who had his eyes on Percy's lips again.  
Percy wished he could kiss him again.  
Or even better: Have Nico kiss him again.

"So, are we ready to go then? Or do you want to keep making out in the snow?", Jason asked and raised an eyebrow.

Nico sighed and got up. "Sure, let's go. I am SO tired, you can't imagine.", he muttered and helped Percy up, pulling him in for another kiss before entwining their hands.

Percy fell in love with Nico all over again.  
He loved this. All of this.  
All of Nico.

And sleepy Nico was going to give Percy sleepless nights.

Will and Jason took them in their middle and Percy was surprised to find Will on his side this time.  
They trotted off through the snow towards New Rome, watching other Campers running around still doing some fireworks, but mostly people were already in bed or sitting somewhere half-asleep, gazing at the sky or snuggling against each other.

Nico wrapped an arm around Percy and suddenly Percy found Will and Jason copy him, resulting in his arms around both Nico and Will, who looked around at him bemused, even daring to come a tad closer to Percy.

It was the weirdest thing ever.  
But Percy was too tired to really mind.

"We're so crashing at your place, Neeks. There's no way we'll let you two at it just yet.", the blonde announced and Percy made a face.

"That was to be expected.", he said drily.

Nico snorted. "I don't care. I could still make out with him."

Percy blinked. So did Jason and Will. All of them looked around at Nico, who didn't even have his eyes open half-way.

"Dude, what did you drink?", Will asked, surprised.

"I want to know, too. I gotta order that stuff and lots of it.", Percy muttered and felt Will pinch him in the side, making him flinch and chuckle.

"Ha-ha.", Nico sulked, but Percy leaned over and placed a kiss at the side of his face.

"Just joking. You're perfect the way you are. Any way you are."

Nico smiled at that. It was a content, happy smile.

Percy felt quite proud of himself.

*****

When they got back to Nico's room, the boy collapsed on the bed and was instantly asleep.

Percy had half expected it.

"Seriously?", Will asked, chuckling.

Percy shrugged, lifting Nico slightly to take his jacket off at least, while Jason came over and helped with his shoes.

"I guess you can both sleep in your rooms after all."

"You wish.", Will retorted snorting.

Percy made a face. "It's not like I'd force myself onto him."

"After earlier, I highly doubt you could.", Will deadpanned.

Percy shrugged. "Well, if he wants it, who am I to say no?"

He began opening Nico's pants, pulling them down while Jason carefully took out the rubber band out of Nico's hair.  
They were actually quite a good team.  
Nico frowned and shifted, muttering something indistinguishable in his sleep and all three looked at him quietly for a moment.

"He looks so adorable...", Will whispered quietly, making Percy look around surprised.

His voice was so...different.  
Soft and gentle.  
Percy had only heard it once before like that, and that was when Jason and him had followed them on their date.  
It was the voice he used only when he was alone with Nico.

"Yeah, he does.", Jason agreed, gently brushing a strand of hair out of Nico's face.

"He has to be the only person to manage to be adorable and sexy in one. Not to mention when he's dominant..."

"You really took a liking to that, didn't you? Wouldn't have taken you for a possible bottom.", Will commented, pulling back the covers as Jason and Percy moved Nico into bed correctly.

"Trust me, you have him kiss you like that one time and you'll know what I'm raving about."

Jason chuckled. "I'm not surprised. He IS a good kisser, after all."

A collected sigh came from all three of them.  
Percy was surprised to find he wasn't even that jealous.

Then again, Nico was his now, while he still friendzoned the other two.  
Or maybe he was still reminiscing in the fact that he was the only one of them that Nico ever initiated a kiss with. Not to mention he was the only one that gad given Nico a handjob.

"You are so mean, dating him before I had the chance to at least tongue him once.", Will then complained and Percy chuckled.

"You could have come out to him at any given time. If you wait for me to snatch him away, your own fault."

"I thought it was Jason!"

"And what would that have changed?", Percy asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Jason isn't half as possessive as you are."

Jason chuckled at that. "I'm not? Trust me, if Nico was dating me right now, I wouldn't let you guys anywhere close to him. Percy, maybe, because he'd watch his manners. But Will, you'd be dead the moment you lay hands on him.", he said deadly quiet and pointedly looked at them both.

Percy didn't doubt his words whatsoever.  
Silence.

"Dude, he's scary.", Will muttered, actually hiding behind Percy.

He chuckled. "Well, I guess now you're happy it was me, huh?"

"Nah. Jason has to leave soon. I'll have to endure you the whole entire time."

Percy looked up at Jason who looked away rather upset.  
He felt bad for Jason.  
He really did.  
Jason was a nice guy, after all.

"That's why you didn't confess to him, isn't it?", he asked quietly and their eyes met.

"Course it is. I could have never made him choose. I admit I played with the thought of asking him to come along, but I always chickened out, worried he'd say yes because he wanted to be nice or something. He did just find a real home, after all."

They all looked down at the sleeping Nico. Then Percy climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend from behind and looked around at the others expectantly.

"Well, now he's mine. You both better get used to it. Now come on, get in. I don't want him to get cold."

They both blinked surprised, but complied nevertheless.  
Percy half expected them to start bickering, but Will let Jason take the spot in front of Nico and looked at Percy uncertainly, biting his lip.  
Percy gazed at him questioningly.

"Can I sleep on your side? I don't want to get killed by Jason in my sleep for saying I'd have hit on Nico if it had been him."

Percy stared at him.

Then he shrugged. "Sure. By the way, why aren't you always like this? Much easier to deal with than that loud, annoying git that keeps pushing Nico's borders. And mine, for that matter."

Will chuckled and crawled into bed behind him, close enough for Percy to notice, but without touching him whatsoever.

"Are you seriously asking that? You two are around him the whole freaking time, the center of attention wherever you go, and you're asking me why I'm always trying my hardest to be the one closest to him?"

"It's because you're scared. You think he wouldn't notice you if you were quiet and calm.", Jason answered and Percy blinked, surprised.

"Why?"

"You two are kids of the Big Three. I'm just a son of Apollo. Why would he even as much as look at me if he got two guys like you fighting over him?"

Ah, so Percy had noticed that correctly.  
There was something resigned, bitter in that voice.  
Percy turned his head, looking around at Will, but he was staring up at the ceiling.

"I don't think so. He's pretty oblivious about any sort of positive feeling towards him, so he wouldn't know about Jason and me 'fighting over him'. I think you should just be the way you are."

"That's cute. I know you don't mean it, but thanks anyways.", the blonde muttered and turned in the other direction.

Percy rolled his eyes, looking back to Jason who tentatively wrapped his arms around Nico, his gaze locked with Percy's.  
Percy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he let him.

"Actually, I meant that. When you aren't being an ass, you seem like a pretty cool guy. And I think Nico thinks so as well. What do you say, Jason?"

"I agree. That's also why I would have been ok with you being the admirer. I knew you were just being a dick to be noticed and that you'd be different around Nico alone."

There was silence.

"Yeah, whatever."

Percy groaned and turned his head. "Seriously? What are you, five? Get yourself together and come over here."

Will pushed himself up into a sitting position, staring at Percy.

"What the..."

"Don't argue with Percy when he's tired, Will. Just don't.", Jason warned as Percy shot the offspring of Apollo one of his deadliest glares.

Will blinked and rolled his eyes, moving closer to Percy and throwing his arm over him loosely.

"Like that?"

"Yeah, whatever.", Percy muttered, making Will groan and come closer.

Jason chuckled. "You two are so adorable together."

Silence.

"I hope you're talking about Nico and me or I'll have to run you through with Riptide.", Percy said deadly quiet and Jason chuckled even more.

"Happy New Year.", he muttered instead and seemed to drift off into sleep.

Will shifted behind Percy a bit.  
It was odd to have the blonde behind him.  
But he didn't mind too much, instead burying his face in Nico's hair.  
He smelled so freaking nice.

"I love you, Nico...", he breathed ever so quietly and felt Nico shift, snuggling back against him slightly.

Smiling, he also fell asleep.


End file.
